Cops Corner: Sarasota 1.23.20

Jan. 18

RESTRAINING ORDER
10:20 a.m. — 0 block of Bayfront Drive
Dispute: A man said he was at a park when he saw a woman with a small dog not on a leash. The man told the woman she needed to have her dog on a leash. The woman responded by telling the man to mind his own business. The man then called the police. The man said the woman went to her car and left the area, but he took a picture of her license plate.

PASSED THE SMELL TEST
2 p.m. — 4300 block of North Tamiami Trail
Dispute: An employee at a hotel wanted an officer to come into a room to see if two individuals staying there had been smoking pot inside. If the individuals had been smoking, the employee wanted to get a $100 deposit back. The officer walked into the room and did not smell the scent of pot. The employee then let the individuals back into the room.

Jan. 20

NO SMOKE, NO FIRE
7:16 p.m. — 300 block of Bobby Jones Road
Suspicion: A woman was checking on her townhouse for the first time since last summer and, when she arrived at the property, thought she heard someone inside. When she opened the door, the upstairs light was on, so she quickly closed the door and called the police. Officers cleared the building and found a smoke detector going off. After officers cleared the building, one officer walked through the home with the owner, who confirmed everything was fine. The smoke alarm said “change batteries” every few minutes, and the woman said that was what she heard.

BAGGAGE MISHANDLING
7:46 p.m. — 500 block of South Spoonbill Drive
Dispute: A woman argued with a private security officer while dropping off suitcases for her son at her ex-husband’s house. The ex-husband’s fiancee said the woman threw the suitcases toward the officer and left before police arrived. The fiancee said no physical altercation occurred and that nobody was injured. The fiancee said she has been having problems with the woman. She said the woman told her she would come back with her boyfriend, though no threats were made. Officers advised the fiancee to contact neighborhood security officers to ensure they were aware of potential issues.

IS THIS YOUR CARD?
10:59 p.m. — 900 block of University Parkway
Dispute: A hotel manager said a guest was causing a disturbance in the lobby. The manager said the guest was complaining about too many keys being made for her room. The guest also said random people were coming and going from her room. The manager looked into the complaints and found the woman had made all the requests for new keys. The manager said surveillance footage showed only one other person had entered the room since the woman checked in. The woman said she thought staff was lying and did not check any video footage. After an officer arrived, hotel staff deleted all the old room cards and gave the woman the only key. The woman agreed to check out the next morning.