Cops Corner: Alarming work being done

JAN. 11

Job 1: Reset the burglar alarm

9:21 a.m., 500 Rountree Drive

Alarm: Police went to a home in response to an activated alarm and found a contractor who was there to begin work. The alarm was inadvertent and the contractor’s company reached out to the homeowner for help in resetting the system.

Mission accomplished

1:07 p.m., 6600 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Parking: While on patrol, an officer spotted a silver Infiniti parked on the side of Gulf of Mexico Drive and stopped to investigate. While the officer was checking on the ownership of the car via its license plate, the owner ran out of a home and across the highway to meet the officer. The owner said he was working at the home and didn’t know parking was forbidden. He moved the car without penalty to a proper spot.

Appear . . . or else

1:18 p.m., 1000 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Traffic: A Sarasota driver who was stopped by police was issued a criminal citation and ordered to appear in court on Jan. 31 in connection with a suspended license. The officer who stopped the man learned through federal and state databases that his license had been suspended in October, and he had been notified in January. The citation required the man to appear in court or face a bench warrant for his arrest. The man said he would appear as ordered.

JAN. 12

Smokin’

9:27 a.m., 5400 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Alarm: Police responded with Longboat Key Fire-Rescue to a fire alarm. Once first responders arrived to the two story beachfront condo community, they learned the alarm had been triggered by cooking smoke.

Making waves

3:01 p.m., Jewfish Key

Boat violation: The police department’s marine unit conducted a vessel stop near Jewfish Key to issue a verbal warning and educate the boat operator on the requirements of a slow speed, minimum wake zone.

Just checking

4:37 p.m., 3200 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Abandoned 911 call: After a 911 call was received by dispatchers, an officer was sent to investigate. The condo unit owners said they didn’t intentionally dial the emergency number, but an emergency button could have been accidentally pressed while they were putting away groceries.

Sleepy time

10:38 p.m., 4200 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Animal call: Police were called to a condo residence after neighbors were disturbed by the sound of a dog barking. Officers who arrived reported hearing no such noise, and got no response when knocking on the door. Neighbors said this was a recurring problem, and the owner often sleeps through the sound of the dog. An officer left a business card asking the owner to get in touch with police.

JAN. 13

No license, ever

12:02 a.m., 6700 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Traffic: Following a traffic stop of a BMW SUV for excessive speed, the officer learned the driver did not have a drivers’ license, had never been issued one in his home country of Guatemala and only could produce a government-issued ID card from the Central American nation. All other documentation was in order. The man was issued a criminal citation for driving without a license and told he was required to appear in court. The driver called a family member to drive the SUV.

Mystery men

12:37 a.m., 800 block of Binnacle Point Drive

Suspicious people: A caller to police reported two suspicious men driving a gray pickup truck, with their license plate obscured, in their neighborhood. An officer and sergeant searched the area but found no vehicle that answered such a description.

JAN. 14

This is no argument

7:06 p.m., 0 block of Linley Street

Disturbance: A report of two men arguing brought police out to the Linley Street boat ramp. Once contacted by an officer, the men said they weren’t arguing, but rather, disagreeing on how to remedy a problem with their boat’s propeller.

JAN. 17

Noise generator

1:16 a.m., 4200 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Disturbance: A noise complaint registered with police turned out to be a generator in use by Comcast Cable technicians performing routine maintenance.

Dangerous situation

8:17 a.m., 6400 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Vehicle fire: Fire rescue crews extinguished a fire on a crane and rescued its operator after it struck an overhead power line and knocked it down to the pavement. No injuries were reported. Traffic on Gulf of Mexico Drive was blocked until technicians from the power company could reset the power line.

Cutting cable

4 p.m., 500 block of Schooner Lane

Suspicious incident: An incident in which a homeowner lost his internet connection prompted call to police. The homeowner told police he had lost connection the night before and ultimately called his provider. The service technician found the cable connecting his home through a junction box had been disconnected, and it didn’t appear accidental. One theory: the home adjacent to the box is for sale and its possible it might have been incorrectly unhooked.