Longboat Key Cops Corner: That needs to be fixed

Feb. 29

Runaway water

8:16 a.m., 1 block of Winslow Place

Public service: A police officer arrived to the scene of a reported water leak and determined the problem was the homeowner’s responsibility. The officer relayed to the homeowner a plumbing contractor’s telephone number from a tag attached to a nearby valve. The officer also told a tenant of the building that the homeowner was tending to the matter.

Something doesn’t sound right

9:45 a.m., 5000 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Suspicious circumstance: With no luck trying to cancel a suspect appointment made with a caller to discuss residential energy-saving measures, a resident called police. The resident said the caller the previous day was persistent on the telephone, which resulted in the two settling on a time and day to meet. The resident sought police help to be present at the time of the appointment. No money or information was lost, and police arranged for an available officer to be at the residence.

Where’s your boat?

11:42 a.m., Linley Street boat ramp

Parking: An out-of-town sedan was ticketed for improperly parking near signs that stated the area was for boat ramp and town pier parking only.

Out of place

1:12 p.m., 600 block of Broadway Street

Parking: An out-of-town SUV was ticketed for parking outside of a designated parking space.  About an hour later, another out-of-town SUV was ticketed for the same offense nearby.  Around 11:30 p.m., a third vehicle was ticketed on the same block.

Ramming speed!

9:57 p.m., 1000 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Property damage: An unstaffed security gate was reported damaged, and a police officer sent to investigate. When he arrived, he found the gate arm on the ground. The officer drove to a staffed gate and told security personnel what he had found. The staffer was aware of the issue and told the officer it had been logged and would be brought to the attention of the proper personnel.

March 1

A different kind of Sunday ticket

11:02 a.m., 6900 block of Palm Avenue

Parking: An SUV was ticketed after it was found in a no-parking zone.

Still no break-in

3:28 p.m., 300 block of North Shore Road

Alarm: Police responded for the second time in a day to a residential alarm. An officer checked the exterior and found no signs of a break-in and noted the home seemed to be under renovation. No homeowner was able to be contacted regarding the alarms.

Left behind

4:31 p.m., 4200 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Found property: A visitor to a park’s dog-play area reported to police finding a cellphone in a case that also contained credit cards, cash and out-of-state identification. Police took the property into safekeeping and found a relative through an internet search. A message was left with the relative explaining the circumstances and how to retrieve the property.

Clean sweep

6:57 p.m., 6400 block of Gulfside Road

Road obstruction: An officer removed from a street broken glass from a beer bottle.

A sea shanty?

11:22 p.m., 600 block of Cedar Street

Disturbance: Police were notified of loud music and investigated. An officer determined the music was coming from an anchored sailboat. The officer reported his presence must have been noticed, because the music was turned down without contacting the people on the boat. The officer remained in the area a little longer, and the music remained low.

March 2

No time to play

1:59 a.m., 4200 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Parking: A vehicle left behind in a town park after hours was ticketed.

It’s a gusher

7:39 a.m., 500 block of Bayview Drive

Public service:  The discovery of water coming from the ground near a valve prompted police to alert Public Works Department personnel, who shut off the flow. The homeowner was alerted to contact a plumbing service for repairs.

You smell something?

4:38 p.m., 2100 block of Harbourside Drive

Gas leak: Police responded with fire-rescue personnel to a report of a gas leak. Fire-rescue personnel determined the leak was from a pool heater. The gas utility was contacted.

C’mon in, it’s open

11:20 p.m., 400 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Security check: A routine security check at a business resulted in the discovery of an unlocked door. Two officers checked inside and out, discovering no signs of foul play. Unable to reach a property owner and unable to lock the door, the officers left a business card with an incident report number.

March 3

The area code . . . for trouble

10:23 a.m., 1200 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Abandoned 911 call: An officer was directed to a condominium complex security station after authorities received an incomplete 911 call. The guard on duty reported intending to dial 941 but made a mistake. He acknowledged speaking to emergency dispatchers when they called back and assured the responding officer that everything was fine.

No sign of them

1:28 p.m., 4300 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Report of reckless driving: A caller reported two children, possibly 8 or 9 years of age, driving a green dune buggy recklessly on Gulf of Mexico Drive’s southbound lanes. An officer checked the area reported by the caller and the length of Gulf of Mexico Drive without spotting a such a vehicle.

Sidelined

2:37 p.m., police headquarters

Lost property: A resident came to the police station to report losing her pickleball paddle at the town’s courts. She described it as a graphite model with her first name on it.

A little help

6:16 p.m., 5300 block of Sandhamn Place

Rescue: Police and fire-rescue personnel helped a person out of the water after receiving a water-rescue call. The person was treated by fire-rescue at the scene.

It’s a little late

7:06 p.m., 500 block of Bayview Drive

Noise: An officer spoke to a work-site supervisor about shutting down for the night after noise complaints were received. Workers were using an electric jack hammer to remove tile adhesive from a patio.

March 4

Not in the bike lane

10:13 p.m., 6600 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Parking: An out-of-town driver was ticketed for parking in the bike lane.

Retracing steps

11:52 a.m., police headquarters

Property damage: A man came to the police station to report minor damage done to the left front bumper of his rental car. The man said the day before he had been to three different island commercial areas. He was told to contact the rental company and his insurance company.  Island license-plate reading cameras showed the vehicle leaving and returning to the island on the north end the previous morning and leaving the south end of the island the same morning, returning hours later on the north end.

Where’s the fire?

12:51 p.m., 500 block of Broadway

Traffic: An officer spotted a vehicle he believed to be speeding, which he confirmed through radar. The driver was ticketed for 30 mph in a 20 mph zone.

Too close for the law

3:29 p.m., Broadway Street and Poinsetta Avenue

Parking: An out-of-town car was ticketed for parking too close to an intersection, in violation of a sign posted that reads: "No parking beyond this point.”

March 5

Feeding the customers

10:53 a.m., 5500 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Suspicious circumstance: A cycling tour operator, setting up a food table in a town park, was approached by an officer to ensure he was not soliciting business against town rules. The tour operator explained he travels in a truck with the riders to assist them.