Resident concerned about moved package realizes neighbor was helping out

Friday, Oct. 18

Sign too small

8:53 a.m., 600 block of Spanish Drive North

Officer Public Service: A Longboat Key officer responded to a resident’s request to investigate a stolen mattress, dresser and tables. A neighbor spoke with the officer and said he helped the property owner move the furniture and there was a sign taped to it that said the furniture was not to be removed. The officer noted that the sign was small and not easily visible; other items like a TV and other electronics remained. The property owner said about $1,000 worth of furniture was lost, and the officer provided a case number for the report. 

Canine welfare check

11:35 a.m., 4100 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Animal Problem: Dispatch sent an officer to investigate a report of two small dogs inside a vehicle that was not running. At the scene, the officer located the reported vehicle and found the dogs' owner inside with the vehicle running. She said she lived in a nearby complex and, while waiting for friends, she briefly turned off the vehicle but was inside the entire time. No criminal activity was reported by the officer. 

Sunday, Oct. 20

Stuck in the shower

2:03 p.m., 600 block of Old Compass Road

Assist Other Agency: An officer was asked to assist the Longboat Key Fire Rescue Department to help free a homeowner stuck in a glass shower and unable to open the door. Before the officer arrived, though, the LBKFRD arrived on the scene and freed the homeowner. 

Dispute over dogs 

7:50 p.m., 3700 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Civil Disturbance: A dispute about dogs that were not allowed on the property required police assistance. Upon arrival, the officer spoke with the complainant who identified himself as the homeowners association president and confirmed that dogs were not allowed on the property. When he confronted a guest with a dog, he said the guest started yelling and using foul language. The HOA president demanded that the officer kick everyone out of the house, but the officer advised him that if it was an HOA rule and not a law being broken, the officer could not do that. The officer spoke with the dog’s owner, who said the property owner gave her approval to stay there temporarily with her dog since she lost everything in the hurricanes. The story was checked out with the owner, and the officer left the scene without further incident. 

Monday, Oct. 21

Lost dog reunited 

3:11 p.m., 500 block of Bayport Way

Officer Public Service: A Longboat Key officer received a tip from a North Miami Police Department sergeant — who is on Longboat Key as a part of a mutual aid agreement — that an elderly resident reported she lost her dog in this area. The Longboat officer canvassed the area for the resident’s 11-year-old dog and located her near the owner’s residence. The pup received a courtesy ride back to her home, where she was reunited with the owner. 

Wednesday, Oct. 23

Neighborly assistance 

8:33 a.m., 2000 block of Harbourside Drive

Suspicious Person: Dispatch sent an officer to a report of a suspicious person. The complainant claimed that someone had come onto her property the previous night and moved an Amazon package. At the scene, the responding officer met with the homeowner who reiterated the story. But, she added that, shortly after she reported the incident, her neighbor called to say they moved the package to the other side of the front door so it would be less visible from the street. In the end, nothing was stolen, and instead, it was a neighbor trying to help out.