Woman calls for police assistance to back out of parking spot

Friday, May 24

Needed to make a delivery 

8:06 p.m., 4000 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive 

Vehicle Stop: A license plate reader alerted officers to a driver with an indefinitely suspended driver’s license. An officer located the driver’s vehicle and conducted a vehicle stop. The officer spoke with the driver and advised him of the reason for the stop. While talking with the officer, the driver uttered that he knew the license was suspended and he owed money to get the license reinstated. When the officer asked why he was driving and if he knew the license was suspended, he said he was delivering food for DoorDash. The driver was issued a criminal citation and had to make arrangements for the vehicle. 

Saturday, May 25

If only it were underground ...

1:09 a.m., 2800 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Fire: While on patrol, an officer noticed a bright white light and a loud noise. The officer investigated and found a utility pole sparking with visible flames. Dispatch was notified and Longboat Key Fire Rescue arrived on the scene to assist in troubleshooting the cause and assess any possible damage. The fire extinguished itself. 

Boisterous boaters

1 p.m., Jewfish Key Sandbar 

Noise Disturbance: Dispatch sent an officer to a report of loud music coming from a boat on the Jewfish Key sandbar. The officer arrived by boat and saw more than 100 boats in the area, but one stood out with the loudest music, which could be heard from more than 300 feet away, the officer reported. When the officer approached the vessel with its lights on, the group of people on the boat didn’t notice the officer. It wasn’t until the officer activated the boat’s siren that one of the men on the boat turned off the music. The officer spoke to the boaters about the town’s noise ordinance, to which they replied they would turn the music down. 

Calling for (a) backup 

1:47 p.m., 3300 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Officer Public Service: An officer responded to a citizen assist call from dispatch. When the officer arrived at the location, he met with the caller who said she was unable to back her truck out of a parking spot. The officer assisted her with backing the truck out of the spot safely. 

Not so fast

5:25 p.m., Jewfish Key

Vehicle Stop: An officer on marine patrol witnessed two personal watercraft traveling too quickly in a minimum wake zone near Jewfish Key. The officer stopped both personal watercraft operators and issued them citations for violating the posted minimum wake zone. 

Nude boater

6:25 p.m., 2600 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Civil Disturbance: Dispatch sent an officer to a call of lewd behavior. The responding officer met with the complainant, who said there was a man on his boat without clothes on, and, before the officer’s arrival, the complainant asked him to put clothes on. The officer then met with the mentioned boater, who was fully clothed. He said he just returned to the boat slip, was changing out of his clothes, and was sitting on the bridge when the complainant asked him to put clothes on. 

Monday, May 26

Plumbing service 

8:34 a.m., 3300 block of Bayou Sound

Officer Public Service: An officer responded to a water leak that a resident called in. Upon arrival, the officer found the water leak and spoke with the resident, who asked if the officer could cut off the water until a plumber could respond. The officer cut off the water and stopped the leak for the resident.

Family ordeal

8:44 p.m., 5600 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Vehicle Stop: An officer stopped a driver after a license plate reader notified officers of a suspended license. When the officer found the driver on GMD, the driver was traveling at about 28 miles per hour. The driver said he did not have a driver’s license and was not the registered owner of the vehicle. Both he and his wife, who was the passenger, presented the officer with foreign passports. When the officer asked why he was driving without a driver’s license, the driver said he was moving the vehicle because his son — the owner of the vehicle — was cited earlier for operating the vehicle without a driver’s license.

Tuesday, May 27

Tech support

6:20 p.m., 900 block of Spanish Drive South

Officer Public Service: An officer responded to a welfare check request when the caller said she could not get a hold of her father for the past 24 hours. When the officer arrived at the father’s house, he said his phone was not working correctly, so the officer contacted his daughter for an update. 

Thursday, May 29

Sandbar rescue 

11:18 p.m., Broadway Street & Firehouse Road 

Marine Rescue: Longboat Key Police responded to a marine rescue call about a vessel that ran aground. While officers responded to the location through the beach access point and located the vessel offshore, another officer responded by water on the department’s boat. A commercial towing company was able to arrive on the scene, and the Longboat Key Fire Rescue Department took the three occupants to safety. The owner said the group was heading for the Longboat Pass Bridge and made contact with the bridge tower when suddenly they heard a loud noise and were on a sandbar. The group sustained no injuries.