Police department arrests increase in crime-free Longboat

Arrests were up on Longboat Key in 2022, but that does not necessarily mean there's cause for alarm. Longboat Key Police Department Chief George Turner attributes the change to the high-visibility policing he has enforced since he became interim chief in May 2021 and chief in March 2022. 

“Our arrests are up a lot from last year to this year,” he said. “That has to do with a little bit more proactive law enforcement, a different philosophy of high-visibility.”

High-visibility means exactly what it sounds like — police vehicles are more visible to passersby on Gulf of Mexico Drive, acting as a deterrent and making it easier for officers to intervene when individuals are breaking the law. 

“We’re doing a lot more traffic enforcement,” he said. “We’re trying to be really visible on the roads to keep the roadway safe, keep people looking to (commit) crimes out here off (the island).”

The majority of the 177 total arrests from 2022 were Part II arrests, meaning they were more minor offenses. Of the major offenses, there were two aggravated arrests made, six arrests related to larceny and three related to vehicle theft. 

One motor vehicle was stolen on Longboat Key last year and recovered in Sarasota. 

“We get a lot of transient stuff,” he said. “A lot of people go from Sarasota to Bradenton or from Bradenton to Sarasota.”

That is where the majority of drug arrests come in. This year there were 23. They largely start as regular traffic stops before the officer notices the driver is under the influence or has drugs in their possession. 

“We think (there has been) a lot less burglaries and other crimes because we deter people from coming out here and (committing crimes),” he said. “I believe, and so does the town, that high-visibility law enforcement is a crime deterrent, makes our roads safer, makes our island more enjoyable for people that want to do lawful visiting and makes us a place that is not welcoming to people that want to commit crimes.”

Even so, the department hopes to continue improving their visibility on the island as they look to fill five vacant officer spots. Fully-staffed, the police department has 19 full-time police officers, three part-time officers, two reserve officers and three civilian employees.