Cops Corner: Sarasota 04.21.16

April 17

THE SOUND AND THE FURY
Midnight — 1300 block of Main Street
Dispute: The manager of a bar reported a resident for confronting him about the music at the business. The resident accused the manager of violating the city code. The manager said the resident became angry, jabbing him in the chest and getting spit in the manager’s face. A security guard on the scene confirmed the manager’s report, and said the argument lasted about 15 minutes.

The resident said he was upset because he could hear the music from his condo after midnight, and he could see people being served food and drink outside. The resident said he’s made several complaints about this, but nothing has ever been done. He said he stayed an arm’s length away from the manager and never put his hands on him. The officer did not observe any music that exceeded the maximum sound levels established in the city code, and did not witness anything being served outdoors.

April 18

SLINGING JAVA
6:25 a.m. — 3800 block of South Tamiami Trail
Suspicion: An officer responded to a report regarding a disturbance at a fast-food restaurant. The subject left the area before the officer arrived, but an employee at the restaurant said a woman was screaming and throwing coffee inside of the business. The officer checked the area for a woman matching the given description, but was unable to find her.

CRACKING THE CODE
9 a.m. — 0 block of North Boulevard of the Presidents
Theft: The owner of a store reported an employee for periodically stealing from the business over the course of several months. The employee used his personalized alarm code to enter the business after hours, and video footage showed him taking money from the top of the cash register. The owner estimated the employee had stolen approximately $5,000 over that time period.

CHECKS AND BALANCES
3 p.m. — 400 block of Central Avenue
Financial Crime: A man was hired to install cabinets at a business, and during the instillation process, he and the business owner did not see eye-to-eye. Once the work was completed, he sent the owner a bill for $745. The woman did not want to pay him. Eventually, the man went to the owner’s office, and she wrote him a check for $200. The man contacted the owner about the check after he left, and she informed him she had canceled it. An officer told the man that the bill for $745 was a civil dispute, but said he would talk to the owner about writing a bad check.