Longboat Key Cops Corner: No time like the present . . . or is there?

Friday, Sept. 10

Not exactly applying time

10:57 p.m., 200 block of Sands Point Road

Suspicious persons: Security personnel called police for assistance in helping a man and woman from out of town leave the property. There was no problem, but rather the woman had arrived minutes earlier in a ride-sharing car ready to apply for a job at the resort. An officer who responded suggested an hour before midnight might not be the optimal time for such a business engagement. Both the man and woman were given a ride to the property’s main gate, where they were able to catch a new ride. Police routinely checked the couple for wants or warrants and found none.

Saturday, Sept. 11

Work here is done

2:55 p.m., Longboat Pass bridge

Assist other agency: Police were asked to support fire-rescue units in  a  water rescue. An officer soon learned a boat was found in trouble about a quarter-mile off Coquina Beach and that rescuers from the U.S. Coast Guard and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office were rendering assistance.

Sunday, Sept. 12

Get the point?

10:45 a.m., 2200 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Suspicious person: Two swim-masked divers with snorkels and spearfishing gear were reported by a caller at a beachside residence. An officer spoke to one of them, saying spearfishing is illegal within 100 yards of a public beach. The diver apologized and put the speargun away.

Monday, Sept. 13

Bubble trouble

8:15 a.m., 600 block of Cedar Street

Citizen assist: An officer reported to the Public Works Department a potential water pipe break. He had seen bubbling water coming from the ground about two feet from the edge of the street.  

Sticky picket wicket

11:06 a.m., 6900 block of Poinsettia Avenue

Citizen dispute: Police helped clear up a misunderstanding over the repair of a fence. A tenant called police to report work proceeding on a fence project. The tenant said the landlord made no mention of such work and was concerned. The man doing the work said he had an order from an adjacent property owner to replace panels on the fence but he was not altering the location of the fence.

Where shopping is a pleasure

12:58 p.m., 6000 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Citizen assist: A woman called police from the north end of the island saying she intended to walk to a grocery store but headed in the wrong direction. The responding officer gave the woman a ride to her intended destination.

Not card-carrying

3:36 p.m., police headquarters

Found property: A town staffer came to the police department with a debit-card he had found near a work site. An online search for the owner of the card was not successful, so the card was placed into safe keeping.

Back where it belongs

8:13 p.m., 500 block of Neptune Avenue

Found property: Police accepted a wallet found by a resident, and an officer was able to return it to its owner who worked nearby.

Tuesday, Sept. 14

Under (ground) suspicion

5:14 p.m., 3400 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Suspicious vehicle: A vehicle parked in a neighborhood, reported by  caller who did not wish to meet with an officer, turned out to be a work truck belonging to a contractor working on the town’s underground utilities project.

Wednesday, Sept. 15

Not that department

5:15 p.m., 3400 block of  Bayou Court

Citizen assist: An officer responded to address a caller’s issue with water, but when the officer arrived, the caller said he had been attempting to call Public Works, not police. The officer forwarded the information from the caller to the town department.

Thursday, Sept. 16

Tag, you’re it

12:10 p.m., 2200 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Traffic warning: Police stopped a vehicle with no license plate visible. The driver told the officer the mounting points for the plate had broken while he was removing an out of date plate he had had no means of attaching the new one. The driver was advised to visit a hardware store. He was issued a written warning.

Friday, Sept. 17

Liquid sunshine

8:39 a.m., 4300 block of Exeter Drive

Citizen assist:  A group  called police amid a rainstorm and said they were caught in the downpour and requested a ride home. Upon an officer’s arrival, the group said they had arranged for a friend to collect them.

Nice car, for a dog

9:55 a.m., 2000 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Citizen assist: A police officer stood by for 20-30 minutes awaiting a locksmith to arrive following a call about a dog trapped inside a vehicle. The caller said she had inadvertently locked her pet inside the car with the engine running and the air conditioning turned on. The dog was in no distress and was rescued by an road-side assistance technician.