Cops Corner: It's dark, time for headlights

Oct. 6

On? Off? How hard is it?

8:21 p.m., 6600 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Traffic: An officer performed a traffic stop on an SUV driving north with only its running lights on, even though sunset had taken place nearly an hour earlier. The driver told the officer he was unaware the headlights were not on and thought the rental vehicle’s automatic light control had activated them. The officer showed the driver the proper switch position for correct operation.

Oct. 7

Second time a charm

7:20 p.m., 3500 block of Fair Oaks Lane

Alarm: An officer responding to a report of an activated intruder alarm arrived to find the homeowner at the scene. The homeowner reported first using the wrong code to shut off the alarm, then entered the correct code. The officer noted nothing seemed out of the ordinary at the property and reported no signs of foul play.

Sign of the times

10:35 p.m., 100 North Shore Road

Parking: A truck was cited for illegal parking near the North Shore Road beach access area. It was parked in an area regulated by a sign prohibiting parking between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m.

Oct. 8

Nothing amiss

1:54 p.m., 60 block of Lighthouse Point Drive

Alarm: An officer responding to a report of a residential intruder alarm found an unlocked sliding door on the property. After checking the exterior of the home, the officer made a check of the interior, and all appeared in order. A key holder for the property arrived and indicated he knew about the unlocked door and said he would secure it.

No room at the inn – for him

9:14 p.m., 4700 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Trespassing: A hotel clerk called police to report the return of a man who had been arrested on the premises the day before. The man had returned to collect his belongings so he could leave. The officer spoke to the clerk who wanted a trespassing warning issued to prevent the man from returning to the hotel in the future. The clerk signed the trespassing warning form and the officer explained the situation to the man, who also signed the form.

Oct. 9

Key discovery

1:56 p.m., 2700 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Property found: An officer located a set of keys in the middle of Gulf of Mexico Drive and recovered them. The ring consisted of six keys, some of which were broken. The keys were booked into the police department’s property-custody room.

Dock on the loose

4:26 p.m., 700 block of St. Judes Drive North

Public service: Police were called to investigate a report of a floating dock that had broken loose and was drifting away. The caller to police said the dock had floated away from a neighbor’s back yard and could be a hazard to navigation. The dock was lashed to trees on a nearby property and the owner was notified about the situation. The owner, who was not present, said he would come to the home the next day to assess the situation.

Open door policy

9:54 p.m., 3600 block of Fair Oaks Place

Alarm: Police responding to a report of an intruder alarm arrived to find the front door of the home open. A pair of officers investigated and found nothing out of the ordinary and no sign of forced entry to the door. The area was experiencing gusty winds at the time. Officers secured the door and alerted the homeowner, who was out of town.

Taking action

11:54 p.m., 500 block of Yardarm Lane

Highway obstruction: An officer on patrol in Country Club Shores came upon a cable down in the road, blocking access. The officer was able to cut the cable and move it to the side of the street.

Oct. 11

Wanted, not wanted

8:04 a.m., 100 block of North Shore Road

Traffic: The town’s traffic monitoring system alerted officers to a car connected to a wanted driver. An officer found the car and checked on the identity of the driver, who was not the wanted person noted in the system. The driver had a valid license and was not the subject of wants or arrest warrants.