Man calls police about workers possibly using the wrong saw

Sunday, May 19

In need of a nap

9:33 a.m., 3300 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Suspicious Person: Dispatch sent a Longboat Key officer to investigate a report of a suspicious person sleeping in a pool area. Upon arrival, the officer met with the two people in question, who said they were on the property to visit a grandmother. The boyfriend said he had traveled 17 hours and was taking a nap until his check-in time. The caller arrived at the scene, was informed of the situation and apologized for the call. 

Keep the dogs at home

6:14 p.m., 4100 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Animal Problem: Officers responded to a report of a beachgoer with two dogs. The officers arrived at the beach and saw the two unleashed dogs near a group of people. The owner spoke with police and said he was unaware that dogs were not allowed on the beach, and left without issue. 

Monday, May 20

Brawling builders

9:20 a.m., 1200 block of Bogey Lane

Suspicious Incident: A resident called to report construction workers possibly fighting. An officer arrived at the scene and did not see anyone fighting or in distress, and no one attempted to flag the officer down. There were construction workers throwing debris into a truck, though. The officer contacted the complainant and asked if she could provide a better description of the subjects, but she was unable to give any more description of the alleged brawlers. 

Only paid for what he received

2 p.m., 2800 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Civil Disturbance: An officer responded to the scene of a civil disturbance and met with the complainant and his handyman. The complainant said the handyman was supposed to complete his deck and would be paid $800. But, according to the complainant, the handyman only completed part of the deck, so the complainant only paid $500 for the work. The handyman was expecting full payment even though he didn’t complete the work. Both agreed it was a civil issue and nothing criminal happened. The officer facilitated a conversation between the two, which led to the handyman being asked to leave for the day for things to cool down. 

Need a license for that

2:42 p.m., 300 block of North Shore Road

Vehicle Stop: While on patrol, an officer witnessed a yellow forklift traveling on the roadway and failed to stop at a stop sign before making a turn. The officer followed the forklift to a parking lot and attempted to speak with the operator. The operator handed the officer a foreign identification card and a co-worker arrived on-scene to assist in translation. It was discovered that the forklift operator did not have a driver’s license, and he was issued two traffic citations and a notice to appear in court. 

Tuesday, May 21

Far away fire

3:09 a.m., 2700 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Fire/Smoke: Dispatch sent an officer to a report of the odor of smoke, but no sign of a fire. Upon the officer's arrival, the Longboat Key Fire Rescue Department was conducting a search of the premises but concluded that the odor of smoke must have been from a brush fire on the mainland. 

Wednesday, May 22

Dust in the wind

4:02 p.m., 700 block of Marbury Lane 

Officer Public Service: An officer was sent to a citizen assist call when a report came in regarding pavers cutting with the wrong type of saw, which was throwing dust in the air. At the scene, the officer observed a worker cutting pavers for a new driveway. The officer then spoke with the complainant, who said he had health-related issues with his lungs and the dust from the pavers was causing irritated breathing. He said he believed the worker was in violation of the town code by not using a wet saw, but the officer checked the town ordinances for “dust” and “wet saw” but came up empty-handed. The officer advised the complainant that he couldn’t make the worker stop, but the complainant could contact code enforcement for more information.