Public Works employee calls for backup over Bayfront Park dispute

Friday, Feb. 2

Dog deemed OK

12:45 p.m., 600 block of Cedars Court 

Animal Problem: Citizens concerned about a dog’s well-being called Longboat Key Police for help. The callers said that a dog was in an unattended vehicle, and that they were looking for the owner for 45 minutes with no success. The officer observed that the windows of the vehicle were down and the dog did not appear to be in distress. The owner eventually arrived on scene and the issue was resolved. 

Saturday, Feb. 3

Disorder on the court

8:07 a.m., 4000 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive 

Disturbance: A Public Works employee called for backup for a disturbance on the Bayfront Park courts. When the officer arrived on scene, the employee said that Public Works was supposed to be painting new lines on one of the tennis courts today. He said there were signs posted the previous Thursday that said the two courts would be closed for this project. According to the officer’s report, there was a group of individuals on the tennis courts not wanting to leave and disputing the new lines being painted. The officer spoke with the group and asked them to leave the courts to avoid further conflict. The group complied, and the restriping was allowed to continue on. 

Sunday, Feb. 4

A cat in need 

7:49 p.m., 3300 block of Bayou Sound 

Animal Problem: An officer was dispatched to a report of an injured cat on the road. At the scene, the officers located the injured cat which appeared to be struck by a vehicle or fallen from a tree. The responding officers called Sarasota County Animal Services, who arrived after a short time to take the cat for treatment. 

Monday, Feb. 5

Not quitting time yet

3:54 p.m., 500 block of Kingfisher Lane 

Noise Disturbance: A report of loud music coming from a construction site prompted police response. Upon arrival, the officer saw the crew and their radio, then spoke with a member of the crew. The crew member said they were aware of the town’s noise ordinance times and they would leave the site at about 4:45 p.m. to comply. He also agreed to turn off the radio for the day. 

Tuesday, Feb. 6

Too much tile 

11:42 a.m., 3300 block of Sabal Cove Circle

Officer Public Service: An officer responded to this call for a citizen assist after dispatch advised there was a dump truck on its side at a construction site. On the scene, the officer saw the dump truck tipped over on its side. Roof tile from inside the truck was slipping out and onto the homeowner’s yard, damaging several bushes. According to the report, the tiles were placed unevenly in the truck, resulting in the truck tipping over. The officer spoke with someone from the roofing company who was on scene. The company already had a crane on the way to pick up the dump truck, and he assured that all the tiles would be picked up and the company would pay for any damages. 

Wednesday, Feb. 7

Scoping out the lighting 

3:31 a.m., 500 block of Bay Isles Road

Suspicious Vehicle: While on patrol, an officer noticed a vehicle driving around a bank parking lot. The driver was reportedly driving slowly, with hazard lights on, and taking pictures of the exterior of the building and the ATM. The officer turned on his vehicle’s emergency lights and approached the car. The driver said he was conducting a lighting survey for the bank. He also said he was stopped by police the previous night while doing a similar survey in Fort Myers. A check for warrants came back negative, and no other suspicious activity was observed. 

What's your malfunction? 

7:45 p.m., 5000 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Suspicious Incident: A citizen called police to report flashing lights coming from a nearby property. When an officer arrived on scene, he was unable to make contact with anyone in the residence. It was believed that the porch lights were just malfunctioning. 

Thursday, Feb. 8

Reunited with wallet

5:01 p.m., 5400 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Lost/Found Property: A good samaritan came into the Longboat Key Police Department to turn in a wallet found at the Bayfront Park pickleball courts. The wallet contained various credit cards, about $430 in cash and a Florida driver’s license. A member of the department was able to look up a cellphone number for the owner, who verified his identity over the phone and said he had been playing pickleball on the courts earlier in the day but was unaware his wallet was even missing. He drove to the station to retrieve his wallet.