Longboat Key Cops Corner: Half the lighting, all the warning

June 5

Half the light

3 a.m., 700 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Traffic warning: The driver of a vehicle with one headlight out was issued a written warning. The driver was aware of the problem. A check of national and state crime databases returned no wants or warrants on the driver or the car.

Problem: solved

10 a.m., 700 block of Russell Drive

Rescue assist: Police and fire-rescue units went to a home following a report of a small child locked in a bathroom. Rescue personnel forced open the door following an unsuccessful attempt to disassemble the malfunctioning lock. The child was not hurt.

Noisy, but clean

10:31 a.m., 3500 block of Bayou Circle

Noise complaint: Police advised that a worker using a pressure washer was not violating town work-noise rules. The caller countered that the noise was in violation of homeowner association rules. The officer explained the issue would have to be brought to the attention of the association.

Not me

11:27 a.m., 4400 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Traffic warning: A driver was stopped following confirmation of the town’s license-plate camera recognition system that it was owned by a driver with a suspended license. The driver, though, was not the owner and was properly authorized to drive.

They know their trees

12:05 p.m., 700 block of Marbury Lane

Suspicious incident: A caller suspecting a landscaping crew of damaging protected mangrove trees called police. An officer spoke to the crew and learned their job was to clear invasive Brazilian pepper trees from the future site of a seawall. The officer and a supervisor confirmed the trees were indeed the invasive species, not the protected mangroves. The caller was informed of the police’s findings.

Finding the right person

2:33 p.m., 600 block of Longview Drive

Citizen assist: An officer and a member of the town’s Public Works staff worked together on a broken water pipe report, eventually determining the infrastructure was not that of the town. An officer found a member of the community’s homeowners association and relayed their findings about the broken U-shaped pipe.

Blockaded

4:19 p.m., 600 block of DeNarvaez Drive

Citizen assist: A resident called police to say a construction barge was moored such that it was impossible to navigate into a residential canal to dock a boat. The town’s marine patrol officer contacted the owner of the barge, who said someone would come as soon as possible to move the vessel.

Low-speed trouble

7:32 p.m., 6000 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Traffic warning: An officer stopped a low-speed vehicle in a 45 mph zone and advised the driver  it was improper to drive it there. The operator, who received a written warning, told the officer the rental agency did not make clear the parameters of the vehicle’s operation.

Dogs, on the job

7:41 p.m., Gulfside Road

Dogs on the beach: A complaint to the police regarding dogs on the beach near a public access point prompted an officer to investigate. The owners, who said they were leaving, told the officer the dogs were service animals. The officer reminded the owners of the town rules regarding leashes.

We stop here

8:49 p.m., Bay Isles Parkway and Gulf of Mexico Drive

Traffic: The out of state driver of a car that made a right turn on a red signal without stopping was issued a verbal warning.

No Monkey (Bar) business here

9:18 p.m., 1600 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Citizen assist: An officer stopped to speak with a driver parked just outside the former premises of a popular resort. The man had run out of gas but had arranged for a roadside service company to help. The officer waited with the man until gas arrived.

June 6

No license, lots of speed

7:22 a.m., Gulf of Mexico Drive

Traffic: A driver was issued a citation for driving without a license and told to wait with the vehicle until a licensed driver could arrive to take over. The vehicle was stopped traveling 59 mph, and the officer initially had difficulty communicating through a language barrier. A passenger in the car translated. The driver had no license but produced a passport from a Latin American nation. The driver had previously been cited for driving without a license.

Not how this works

8:16 p.m., 500 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Traffic: A driver was issued a citation following a traffic stop. The officer involved activated his vehicle’s emergency lights over a speeding infraction, but the vehicle wouldn’t stop and accelerated from 56 mph in a 45 mph zone. The driver said he thought the police vehicle was an ambulance and he was speeding up to get out of the way.

Knock out the noise

11:24 p.m., 700 block of Penfield Street

Noise: Police went to a home following complaints of noise. An officer heard the sounds of a televised boxing match and about 12 people cheering in the back yard. The homeowner agreed to keep quieter.

June 7

Gateway to damage

3:03 p.m., Longboat Pass bridge

Traffic: A driver was cited following a collision between his vehicle and the southbound warning gate on the drawbridge. The driver told police he saw the gate and its flashing red lights coming down but did not have time to stop. Damage to the vehicle was estimated at $2,000 and $1,500 for the gate.

June 8

Already at work

2:54 p.m., 4700 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Traffic: The town’s license plate recognition system alerted police to a vehicle owned by a driver with a license suspended for failure to pay a 2000 traffic violation. The driver said she was unaware of the situation and also did not have insurance. The driver’s license card was confiscated and an employee at her place of business moved the car to a safe spot.

No day at the beach

8:32 a.m., 100 Sands Point Road

Citizen dispute: Police were called to help settle a fishing dispute between an angler on the beach and one in a boat. The angler on the beach said he had been fishing in a spot for hours when a boat arrived and began casting into the same area. Police asked the angler in the boat to be courteous.

June 9

Washes right off

11:57 a.m., 6700 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Criminal mischief: Police investigated in incident in which a caller’s vehicle had been spattered with paint on the trunk and rear windows. The paint, though, was water soluble and washed off. No cameras were found that might have recorded the incident. Police said they would make patrols through the area on the overnight shift.

Round and round

12:14 p.m., police headquarters

Citizen assist: A resident brought 999 bullets to the police department for disposal.

It belongs

9:34 a.m., 5000 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Citizen assist: A property manager grew concerned when a vehicle had been sitting in a guest parking space for about a month. Police checked its tag and found it belonged to a resident at the community. The manager thanked the officer and said she was familiar with the resident.