Longboat Key Cops Corner: When is a party not a party?

July 18

Mystery party

10:15 a.m., 3100 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Pandemic call: Police were alerted by a caller who wished to remain anonymous about a birthday party taking place on the beach near a resort. An officer arrived to find no such party and reported beachgoers were socially distancing to the best of their abilities. The officer was unsuccessful in contacting the caller to relay his findings.

Gone fishin’

2:15 p.m., 1600 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Trespassing: An officer on patrol stopped at the now-empty site of a former resort to investigate a vehicle parked at the property’s entrance. He found a man with fishing gear emerging through an opening in the fence, within sight of a sign that reads “Private Property, No Trespassing.” After checking the man’s identification, the officer said no one should be on the property. The man apologized and left.

That’s them

4:15 p.m., 700 block of Penfield Street

Trespassing: While on his way to a trespassing call, an officer took note of a passing vehicle with man and woman inside and wrote down the license number. After reviewing doorbell-security video related to the case, he realized the people he noticed were the same people on the video. Ultimately finding one of the people in the vehicle, the officer was told they were scouting potential real estate deals. The officer made clear to them the owner of the property did not want them there. He issued them a verbal trespassing warning.

DIY

9:20 p.m., police headquarters

Found property: An officer was summoned to the police department lobby to speak with a person who arrived with a wallet he had found. But when the officer arrived, the person was gone. In a follow-up call, the man said he had contacted the owner of the wallet on his own and was making arrangements to return it. No police assistance was needed.

Road worries

9:26 p.m., 5900 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Traffic: A motorist called police to alert them to the presence of a vehicle tailgating and possibly following them after a minor incident on the road. The caller told police a vehicle had passed them, then quickly decelerated, which elicited a high-beam headlight flash from the caller. The passing vehicle then pulled over and pulled in behind the caller’s car and tailgated and flashed obscene hand gestures. Both vehicles and their occupants ended up driving separate ways.

Just looking

11:30 p.m. 6000 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Suspicious incident: A car in the parking lot of a closed business drew the suspicion of a passing police officer, who pulled into to learn more. The vehicle’s occupants said they were just passing through but wanted to stop and look at boats on display. A check of the area indicated nothing suspicious.

July 19

Fore!

10 a.m.,  500 Golf Links Lane

Property damage, not vandalism: A resident sought a police report for damage done to her vehicle’s windshield the day before by an errant golf ball. The resident said a report had already been filed with the golf course.

Sunday, noisy Sunday

12:43 p.m., 500 block of Neptune Avenue

Noise complaint: An out of state property owner, working on renovating his home, was told about an anonymous noise complaint and the town’s restrictions on work noise on Sundays. The officer who responded reported seeing an unplugged power tool in a carport, but didn’t directly witness noise taking place. The property owner was referred to the town’s website for details on noise ordinances.

Suspect: The wind

1:47 p.m., 3500 Fair Oaks Lane

Alarm: Police responded to an residence following the activation of an intruder alarm. An officer found a door to the pool-area courtyard open, likely the result of wind from a passing storm. All other windows and doors were secure. 

Don’t make me call your parents

3:51 p.m., Longboat Pass bridge

Juvenile: An officer responded to the north end of the island in response to a call about youngsters jumping off the bridge into Longboat Pass. When the officer arrived, he found two boys and two girls who appeared similar to a description given, but they were dry. They denied jumping into the water. The officer later spotted a  boy climbing up from ground level to the bridge. In speaking to the youngster, the officer said bridge jumping was dangerous, illegal and would lead to a call to parents, along with possible citations. The boy apologized and walked off.

July 20

Book ‘em, Danno

9:29 p.m., 4280 Gulf of Mexico Drive

Found property: While on patrol, an officer discovered a book in the middle of the northbound lane. The book was recovered and brought back to the police department for safe keeping.

Raft ride gone bad

4:32 p.m., 4600 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Rescue: Police and fire rescue units responded to a report of beachgoers having trouble paddling back to the beach on a raft. Bystanders helped them reach land, and one of the beachgoers was treated by fire rescue.

 July 22

Duck, duck, rescue

6:21 p.m., 7000 block of Seabreeze Avenue

Rescue: Police and fire rescue units were called to the beach regarding a pair of swimmers on inflatable duck floats having trouble getting back to shore. The officer directed fire rescue toward the stricken swimmers, but they were able to reach the sand on their own. No injuries were reported.

July 23

Sleepy day at the beach

8:40 a.m., 7100 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Suspicious incident: An officer was flagged down about a vehicle with its engine running in a nearby private parking lot. The officer discovered a man sleeping in the backseat who said his friend was at the beach. The man called his friend, who returned to the vehicle. The officer told the pair the car was parked on private property and could be towed.

To serve and protect

1:28 p.m., North Shore Road

Public service: While parked on the west end of North Shore Road, a police officer watched as a family with a small infant walked off the beach as a storm approached. Their car was parked across the bridge in Bradenton Beach, so the officer gave them a ride to their vehicle.