Longboat Key Cops Corner: Paperwork, am I right?

July 1

Paperwork

8:17 a.m., Bogey Lane and Yardarm Lane

Traffic: An officer on patrol was notified of a nearby vehicle registered to a driver whose license had been suspended or disqualified. The officer found the vehicle in a nearby neighborhood and stopped the driver, who said he was unaware of his license status. The officer said the driver had failed to file a medical certificate for a Class A license. The license was placed into evidence. A second driver was stopped later that morning on the same set of circumstances. The driver said he thought it was OK to drive a private vehicle, but not a commercial vehicle. (It is not).

Meter reading

11:01 a.m., 7000 block of Longboat Club Drive

Property damage, not vandalism: While a resident was away, a person who watches the house discovered a crack in the electrical-service meter outside. The owner asked for the caretaker to call police and file a report. The office who responded noted the crack but discovered no other damage.

 Through for the day

7:28 p.m., 200 block of Sands Point Road

Suspicious person: A resort employee who had been missing from a work assignment for about an hour was found sleeping in his car by a security officer. The employee’s supervisor requested that the employee be asked to leave for the day. The employee agreed and said he hadn’t been feeling well.

July 4

Stop, not slow

1:34 p.m., 4000 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Traffic warning: An out of state driver received a written warning after slowing, but not stopping, for a pedestrian in a marked crosswalk. The driver said he was unfamiliar with the flashing-light signal and believed slowing down was the correct action. The officer reminded the driver the crosswalk signal is preceded by three warning signs to stop for pedestrians. Two other drivers received written warnings in the following hour,  one of who told an officer he hadn’t noticed a crosswalk. 

July 6

Storm coming

10:14 a.m., 3300 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Trespassing: A man and a woman were escorted off private property after an officer encountered them waiting for a ride. The man told the officer he and his wife live on a boat moored in Sarasota Bay behind the property, but they were leaving in advance of Tropical Storm Elsa. No criminal wants or warrants were found.

Keeping watch

3:18 p.m., 6000 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Rescue assist: Police were directed to the beach behind a Gulf of Mexico address in response to an alert from a smartwatch indicating an accidental fall. Fire-rescue personnel were speaking to a person on the beach and it was determined the watch alerted accidentally and there was no emergency.

July 9

Taking the lead

4:46 a.m., 1700 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Traffic: A vehicle that pulled out in front of a police vehicle in a 45 mph zone quickly accelerated to upwards of 62 mph, prompting a traffic stop. A criminal check of the driver came back negative, and the driver was issued a verbal warning for speeding.