Longboat Key Cops Corner: A rescue at sea

July 27

What was that?

1 a.m., 6000 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Suspicious circumstance: Police investigated a report of a suspicious event after a resident called to report a noise coming from the north side of the property. The officer spent about a half-hour checking the perimeter of the property, but nothing suspicious was found.

Unsteady as they go

11:31 a.m., In the gulf

Boating violation: The police department’s marine patrol officer, responding to a report of two personal watercraft operating erratically near-shore, spotted two such craft and spoke to their operators about the complaint and regulations regarding how close to the shore they are permitted to operate.

Alarming!

2:08 p.m., 6400 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Alarm response: An activated intruder alarm sent an officer to investigate a home. The officer found all the doors and windows secure. Reached by phone, the homeowner said he would have the resident reset the alarm.

Sounds familiar

2:58 p.m., 6400 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Noise complaint: A resident called to complain about noise, possibly coming from a nearby utility box. The officer reported hearing nothing unusual but referred to an earlier call about a residential alarm in the same areas as possibly related to his later call.

The lipstick matched

5:05 p.m., Greer Island

Beverage violation: While on foot patrol, an officer stopped to speak to a beachgoer with two open cans of beer alongside, one empty and one partially full. Lipstick on the cans matched the shade worn by the beachgoer, who eventually told the officer they both belonged to her. The beachgoer was issued a notice to appear in court  in connection with the town’s ban on alcohol on beaches. A photo of the cans were sent to the police department’s crime-scene investigator for inclusion in the case file.

Helping out

7:48 p.m., 5100 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Alarm/rescue: Police were called to work with fire-rescue personnel after receiving a call about a medical alarm activated from within a condominium. Once the first-responders made entry into the unit, it was determined no one was home.

Uninvited guest

8:54 p.m., 1900 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Nuisance animal: Police were called regarding a raccoon that continued to approach an outdoor grill where guests were cooking. An employee at the guard house at the community entrance said the raccoon had been seen for the past few days, but an officer who looked in shrubs and near trash cans couldn’t spot the animal. County animal control officers were contacted, and information on the raccoon was relayed to them.

July 28

Open door policy

12:09 a.m., 1000 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Rescue: Police and fire-rescue personnel responded to a condominium complex regarding a stuck elevator. The elevator was released by first-responders, and four people were freed.

Plumbing problem

9:58 a.m., 700 block of Tarawitt Drive

Public service: An officer sent to a home was told about a faulty backflow preventer attached to the plumbing system. The on-call Public Works Department staff member was alerted to the problem.

Not secure, but OK

4:25 p.m., 3900 block of Royal Road

Alarm: Police headed to a home to investigate an activated alarm. The main house was found to be secure, but a door leading to a bathroom on a guest house was unlocked. The officer found nothing out of the ordinary, and the door was secured.

Rescue at sea

3:05 p.m., off the Key

Assist other agency: The department’s marine patrol officer and the U.S. Coast Guard responded to a distress call from a boat taking on water about 10 miles west of Longboat Pass. The police officer was asked to respond immediately while a Coast Guard boat returned quickly to base to retrieve a pump. The officer found the 23-foot vessel with four people aboard, low in the water and making about 10 knots toward shore. Once the Coast Guard arrived, three passengers were transferred, two Coast Guard crew stepped aboard and pumping began. Both police and Coast Guard escorted the boat back to the Coquina Beach boat ramp, where it was recovered on its trailer without further incident. The entire operation lasted about 90 minutes.

I thought I told you

4:15 p.m., Greer Island

Beverage violation: An officer who earlier in the day told a beachgoer alcohol was forbidden on town beaches spotted the same man with an open can of Redd’s Wicked Cider. The beachgoer acknowledged their earlier conversation and was issued a notice to appear in court in connection with the town’s ordinance banning alcohol on the beach.

Not open for business

10:07 p.m., 3100 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Security check: An officer making a routine check of an office building’s security found a rear door open. Upon further investigation, nothing appeared out of order. The door was secured and the officer departed.

Fun and games (and noise)

11:57 p.m., 5300 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Noise: An officer was dispatched on a report of a family making loud noises while swimming in a pool. As the officer arrived, he spotted the family leaving the area. He spoke to them about the noise and told them to confine their pool activities to the complex’s posted pool hours.

July 29

Never mind

9:27 a.m., 5800 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Trespassing: A caller alerted police to the presence of a person on private property. The caller said no one was supposed to be there. Police spoke to the person, who said he had been authorized to work on a boat by a third party. The caller was contacted and recalled knowing the third party and apologized for the mix-up.

Shadowy but loud

1:09 a.m., 2500 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Suspicious circumstance: A report of two men and two women laughing and yelling loudly on the beach was investigated, but no one was found. Police who came to the beach walked along the shore and spotted some shadows a distance away but couldn’t get a clear look. On the walk back, officers again reported seeing some figures run from the dunes into the shadows of nearby buildings, but no contact was made.