Longboat Key Cops Corner: Yes, that cell phone can still call 911

July 12

No problem

12:12 a.m., 200 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Alarm: Police and firefighters responded to a business at which an alarm was indicating a possible fire. With no initial sign of smoke or fire, firefighters tracked down the source of the alarm and determined it was a false alarm caused by a system malfunction.

Phone fun

8:05 a.m., 500 block of Wedge Lane

Emergency message: A call from a child on the 911 emergency line prompted a welfare check. The dispatch operator spoke to the child who said his mother was fine but wouldn’t put her on the phone. Once an officer arrived to investigate, he determined all was well. The child was playing with an old, deactivated cell phone that retained the ability to connect with 911.

Fighting a fire

8:31 a.m. 500 block of Putting Green Lane

Structure fire: An officer called to a home on a report of a possible fire initially spotted damage to a garage door and smelled smoke. Upon further examination, he found a fire in the garage in the house under construction. Firefighters soon arrived and put out the fire. An electrician at the home said he had arrived to work at the under-construction home. Seeing and smelling the same conditions as the police officer, he called 911. The state fire marshal was called to investigate the case.

Lunch is served

12:20 p.m., 7000 block of Longboat Drive North

Fire alarm: Police and firefighters were dispatched to a home in response to a fire alarm activation. Firefighters determined the alarm had been set off by a past cooking incident.

Missing, not missing

2:03 p.m., 300 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Missing adult: A resident who had left for a trip to the supermarket four hours earlier but had not yet returned was reported missing. Police looked for the car and the resident at the supermarket with no result. The town’s license-plate reader system logged the vehicle leaving and returning, so police went to the person’s home and found him arriving at the residence. Police determined he was OK and helped him bring his groceries inside.

Boyfriend is waiting

9:40 p.m., 4100 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Traffic: A car passing in a no-passing zone was pulled over. The driver told the officer she was in  a hurry to pick up her boyfriend from work. The driver was issued a written warning.

July 13

Lights are OK

6:22 a.m., Longboat Pass bridge

Animal call: A caller to police complained lights illuminating the work zones of the Longboat Pass bridge were harmful for nesting sea turtles, possibly in violation of rules meant to protect them. An officer checked on the bridge lights and reported they were permitted for use on the bridge-rehab project.

Traffic help

11:28 a.m., 4200 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Traffic: A church called police to request help in stopping traffic to allow a funeral procession to depart. The officer stopped traffic on the northbound lane of Gulf of Mexico Drive to allow the cars to leave the church.

A sprinkling of suspicion

3:58 p.m., 4600 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Suspicious person: Police met with a man at a resort who was concerned about a shirtless man he had seen sitting in the bushes at the corner of the property. An officer spotted a man walking away from that area, and the man said he was an employee of the resort who was working with two other men on the sprinkler system. There were no other people seen in the area.

Walking or riding?

6:27 p.m., 2200 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Dog: A dog loose on a golf course was reported to police, but an officer sent to investigate did not locate the animal.

Safe to enter

7:52 p.m., 700 block of Bayport Way

Public service: A resident was concerned about a wasp nest above the front door and called police. An officer arrived and used a can of wasp spray the resident had on hand. The nest appeared empty. The resident entered safely.

No lights

10:28 p.m., 5200 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Traffic: A rental SUV driving without its headlines on was stopped. The driver told the officer she was unaware the lights were off. A verbal warning was issued.

July 14

Who’s there?

11:47 a.m., 4700 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Suspicious circumstance: The manager of a resort called police seeking special attention regarding the possibility of someone hiding or sleeping behind a shed on the property. The manager said employees had been finding pizza boxes, trash and other evidence. An officer sent to investigate reported most of the trash had been cleared by employees, but an odor remained present. The officer said police would keep an eye on the area to see if anyone returns to the spot.

Wake up!

3:18 p.m., Sister Keys

Boating violation: The operator of a personal watercraft was cited for not having a proper boating safety card and was issued verbal warnings for a slew of other violations. The rider was spotted by police weaving in and out of boat wakes, leaving the boating channel and riding faster than allowed in the posted “slow speed, no wake’’ zone. The vessel did not display a registration sticker and the rider could not produce the vessel’s registration paperwork.

Dog day

8:25 p.m., 500 block of Bay Isles Parkway

Animal found: Animal Control was called in connection to a tan dog found loose. Upon Animal Control’s arrival, the dog’s owner arrived and claimed it. The dog had gotten away during a walk.

No mow noise

5:33 p.m., 500 Birdie Lane

Noise: A caller reported a lawn was being mowed after 5 p.m., contrary to town rules on noise. The responding officer spoke to a member of the lawn-maintenance company, who was repairing a motorized piece of equipment and issued a verbal warning about the infraction of town ordinances.

July 16

Uber issue

2:22 a.m., Gulf of Mexico Drive at Bay Isles Parkway

Traffic camera: Police were alerted via the island’s traffic monitoring camera to the presence of a vehicle owned by a driver with a suspended license. The car, driven by an Uber driver with two intoxicated clients in the back seat, was stopped. The driver told the officer he had no knowledge of a license suspension and surmised there might be a clerical error. He told the officer he would address the issue later that day. The driver was allowed to proceed.

Alarming sound

4:44 a.m., 500 block of Gunwale Lane

Suspicious circumstance: Police went to a home regarding a suspicious noise coming from a bathroom. The officer was taken to source of the noise in the master bathroom. The officer flushed the toilet, and the noise stopped.