Cops Corner: Keep an eye out for porch prowlers

Dec. 2

Porch prowlers

11:16 a.m., 600 block of Longboat Court

Larceny: Police were alerted to a pair of missing packages from a front porch. The intended recipient told officers her smartphone app connected to the delivery service indicated two packages had been delivered, but none were present about 80 minutes later when the resident returned home. A neighbor reported seeing nothing out of the ordinary. The case was referred to detectives.

Dec. 3

No lights, no license

12:46 a.m., 800 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Traffic: An officer on patrol near the south end of the island spotted a vehicle northbound with only its emergency flashers on. After stopping the vehicle, the officer learned the driver’s license expired in 2009. The driver said the headlights were malfunctioning. He was cited for the expired licensed, warned about the headlights and ordered to secure the vehicle at the scene until a valid driver could remove it.

Trash: Collected

4:50 p.m., 3500 block of Bayou Circle

Missing property: A caller reported his Waste Management trash can missing from his property. He told police he left it at the curb as usual on a Monday and returned to find it gone. Waste Management told the caller to report the theft of the $50 container to police or pay a fee for its replacement.

Dec. 4

Infernal combustion

2:25 p.m., 6800 block of Longboat Drive South

Suspicious circumstance: A resident approached an officer to say two cars were parked in a nearby vacant home the night before revving their engines loudly. When someone shined a light their way, both cars drove away. The resident had no idea who the people were and couldn’t describe the cars, other than basic colors.

No one hurt

2:19 p.m., 500 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Traffic collision: No serious injuries were reported in a two-car collision. Police reported that one car was northbound on Gulf of Mexico Drive when the driver stopped for traffic at Sloop Lane. A second car collided with the first from the rear, causing about $3,000 in damage to each of the vehicles. The driver of the second car was cited for following too closely. Both cars could be driven from the scene.

Dec. 5

Right place, right time

9:16 a.m., 700 block of Tarawitt Drive

Security check: An officer on patrol spotted a home with an open front door. Getting no response to a knock or a call inside, the officer asked for backup before entering the home. While waiting, the owner walked up and said his dog had dashed out of the house and he had accidentally left the door open as he ran to catch the pet.

Maybe not an emergency, after all

11:42 a.m., 600 block of Longview Drive

Emergency message: The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office sought local police help when receiving a cell-phone panic alarm message from a town resident. The alert was traced to Bahia Vista Street in unincorporated Sarasota, but operators could not make contact. Police were asked to check on the resident’s home, which was found to be secure. A neighbor told police the resident and her husband had left about an hour earlier, and that he would relay word about the panic alarm to her.

False alarms

1:27 p.m., several locations

Alarm: False fire alarms connected with a power failure on the island were received in less than 30 minutes. Police responded to Players Club, Privateer, and Beachplace and were relieved by Longboat Key Fire-Rescue units.

Oooh, that smell

11:25 p.m., 4700 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Narcotics: An officer responding to a report of a suspicious vehicle first spoke to a witness who reported smelling marijuana coming from a white van. The officer spoke to the van’s driver, who said he worked at that location. The officer also reported smelling marijuana and received consent to search the van. He reported discovering a small bag in a backpack, the contents of which the officer reported field tested positive for marijuana –- 3 grams. The man was issued a notice to appear in court on possession charges.

Dec. 6

Beach blanket . . . whatever

1:32 p.m., 500 St. Judes Drive

Suspicious circumstance: A business owner called police to report overnight activity captured on a security camera. She told an officer the video from the night before depicted three men and three women getting out of an unknown make/model car in her lot around 9:20 p.m., carrying blankets and heading toward the beach. They returned about four hours later and left.