Longboat Key Cops Corner: Leaving a calling card

Oct. 5

Locked? Nope.

12:37 a.m., 200 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Security check: An officer on patrol making a routine security check of a business discovered an unlocked door. After reporting the find, he checked inside and found nothing out of the ordinary. Attempts to lock the door were unsuccessful, and no representative of the business was on file to notify. The officer left a business card on the reception desk with a reference to a case number to let the staff know he had been there.

S-s-s-s-smokin’

7:02 a.m., 500 block of Sanctuary Drive

Fire/stand by: Police and the fire department were alerted to a possible electrical problem. A light pole was found to be smoking near its base. The fire department handled the call.

Making waves

2:19 p.m., near Jewfish Key

Boating violation: A personal watercraft operator was seen making an excessive wake in a slow-speed zone near Jewfish Key on the island’s north side. The craft was stopped, its operator issued a verbal warning and a lesson on the violation.  Less than an hour later, a second personal watercraft was stopped under similar circumstances, though its operator could not produce a valid boater’s safety card. That operator was also issued a verbal warning and a lesson about slow-speed zones.

That’s the ticket

3:45 p.m., 4000 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Traffic crash: No one was injured in a collision between two vehicles that rendered one of them undriveable.  The first vehicle was driving south when it came up behind a second vehicle, which was stopped to make a left turn. The first vehicle crashed into the back of the second. Airbags on the first vehicle deployed and its front end received major damage. It was towed from the scene. The second vehicle’s rear bumper was damaged. Both drivers refused medical attention. The driver of the first vehicle was cited for careless driving.

More smoke

7:34 p.m., 500 block of Longboat Club Road

Fire/stand by: Fire units were already on the scene of a light pole that was smoking at its base. Florida Power & Light took control of the scene upon its crew’s arrival.

I hear inconsiderate people

8:53 p.m., 7100 block of LaLenaire Drive

Noise: A resident of Jewfish Key called police about loud music coming from boats in the area. Another resident, who lives nearby, also called and offered to meet an officer on the Lands End in regard to the same noise complaint. That caller reported the noise had been ongoing for a while, and the U.S. Coast Guard had been in the area previously. With no marine patrol boat available, the officer used a flashlight in an attempt to signal the noisy boaters. Three boats shortly left the area, and the music was turned down. The officer relayed the night’s events to the police department’s marine unit.

Oct. 6

Just plants

7:41 a.m., 5500 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Abandoned 911 call: Police responded to an abandoned 911 call in a town park. The officer arrived to find no one in the park, even after checking throughout  the area. The park trail’s emergency phone did not appear to have been used.

Caged animal

8:09 a.m., 700 Binnacle Point Drive

Animal call: Residents called police about a raccoon walking with difficulty in the roadway. Over concerns the animal might be rabid, Manatee County Animal Control was called, and an officer trapped the raccoon and carried it away in a cage.

More waves

12:50 p.m., near Jewfish Key

Boating violation: An operator of a personal watercraft was issued a verbal warning and educated on slow-speed zones after a police officer spotted the craft creating an excessive wake.

Coming home

10:14 p.m., 5800 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Alarm: The officer sent to investigate an activated home alarm met with the homeowner who said he had been having trouble with the system. The phone lines were not working, which the homeowner theorized might have something to do with the problem. The officer checked the residence and its perimeter and found nothing out of the ordinary.

Oct. 7

Not-so-suspcious

8:12 a.m., Bogey and Birdie lanes

Suspicious vehicle: A van parked in a neighborhood was reported as a suspicious vehicle. A check by an officer determined it was owned by a nearby resident, and the vehicle was parked legally. The caller was informed of these facts.

Too close

10:41 a.m., 4700 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Traffic violation:  The driver of a vehicle reported to have been driving aggressively was issued a traffic citation for following too closely.

Gas and go

12:07 p.m., 5200 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Public service: An officer on patrol spotted a car parked on the shoulder. The driver reported running out of gas. The officer picked up a gas can from the police station and drove the stranded driver to a gas station. The car started with no trouble.

Tag, you’re it

7:30 p.m., 1900 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Traffic: Police were alerted to a car with an expired registration tag. The car was stopped and its driver, who was also the registered owner, promised to take care of the registration issue online at home. The driver was issued a verbal warning.

Oct. 8

Sparks a-flyin’

6:28 a.m., 600 block of Linley Street

Fire/stand by: Police and fire units were called out on a report of an arcing electrical transformer. The fire department determined there was no hazard.

No emergency

6:28 a.m., 1900 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Abandoned 911 call: A disconnected 911 from the guard position at the entrance to a gated community prompted a visit from an officer. Personnel on the scene reported there was no emergency, blaming the call on a glitchy phone line.  Another such call was reported a day later, again confirmed by a security guard who said there had been phone line problems.

Helping out

8:43 a.m., 5300 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Gas leak: Police assisted with traffic control and other duties for about 90 minutes while utilities workers and the fire department worked at the scene of a reported gas leak in a shopping center.

Oct. 9

No witnesses

11:44 a.m., 5300 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Traffic collision: Two vehicles collided in a shopping center parking lot, and there were no injuries. Police reported there were no independent witnesses and no video of the incident. One of the vehicles received damage to the drivers side bumper, the other to the passenger side front quarter panel. No one was cited.

Boxed in

3:50 p.m., 7300 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Highway obstruction: An officer was sent to the Longboat Pass bridge in connection with a report of a box in the road blocking traffic. Upon his arrival, he found no box in the road or no traffic backup.