- May 2, 2024
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No license, no driving
1:18 a.m., 500 block of Buttonwood Drive
Traffic: A 43-year-old Miami man was cited for driving with a suspended license after a Longboat Police officer was alerted by the town’s traffic monitoring system. The officer was alerted to the status of the 2017 Porsche SUV owner’s license by the camera-data system and performed a traffic stop. Once confirming the driver was the owner, and making sure the information on the license suspension was correct, the officer seized the license and issued the citation. The driver said he was unaware his license was suspended.
You’ve been warned
7:43 a.m., 2300 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive
Traffic: The driver of a 2018 Toyota was given a written warning for excessive speed on Gulf of Mexico Drive. The officer who wrote the warning reported clocking the car at 56 mph in a 45 mph zone.
Mystery boat
9:18 a.m., 2600 Harbourside Drive
Suspicious circumstance: The weather-beaten hull of a small sailboat, about 10-12 feet in length, was found near the entrance of the Longboat Key Moorings. There were no identifying marks or registration numbers on the boat, which was found floating in a canal. The investigating officer, who responded after a call from the public, notified Moorings management that he would refer his findings to the town’s Public Works Department and the police department’s marine unit.
Up in smoke
8:05 a.m., 4300 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive
Fireworks complaint: Police were called to the beach in connection with a call from the public about fireworks. When an officer arrived, he reported he did not see or hear any fireworks after canvassing the area.
Water, water everywhere
11:04 p.m., 500 block of Cedar Street
Public service: A caller to police reported street flooding in her neighborhood. When met by an officer, the caller said she didn’t understand the source of the water but suspected it might be from a broken pipe. The officer said the water was likely from a high tide on Sarasota Bay, and that he had seen the same thing earlier in the evening elsewhere in the neighborhood. High tide that night was around 10 p.m.
Would you like a hot towel?
12:54 a.m., 2300 block of Harbour Oaks Drive
Fire alarm: Police responded with Fire-Rescue to a fire alarm call. Upon the officer’s arrival, he was told the alarm was set off by a towel that accidentally caught fire. No damage or injuries were reported.
It’s me
12:58 a.m., 5100 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive
Suspicious vehicle: An officer dispatched to a report of a suspicious vehicle at a construction site reported the vehicle in question was actually his own. He had backed into the property with his parking lights on to check on the site.
Tidiness, please
1:28 p.m., 6800 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive
Suspicious person: Police were sent to Whitney Plaza to investigate a report of a suspicious person. Upon an officer’s arrival, he found no one suspicious nearby, but did see trash near a back door – but no sign of a homeless camp. A worker said he would ask the landlord to remove the trash.
Package deal
2:03 p.m., 5300 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive
Suspicious circumstance: An officer on patrol spotted a bicyclist on the ground alongside a parcel delivery truck and stopped to investigate. The bicyclist said she had been hit by the truck as it pulled across the bike lane to enter the highway. The truck driver and a witness said the cyclist appeared to ride into the side of the stopped truck. During the course of the officer’s investigation, the cyclist rode off and did not appear injured. The officer told the driver he would complete a report on the incident in case the cyclist wanted to file a report later. No charges were filed. The officer gave the driver a business card with a case number.
No parking means no parking
8:06 p.m., 500 block of Bay Isles Parkway
Traffic: The driver of a Lexus with New York plates was cited for illegal parking after an officer spotted the car parked in a fire lane at a shopping center. The officer reported the car’s driver was gone at least 21 minutes (from 7:45 p.m. to 8:06 p.m.), but appeared as the citation was being written. The driver said he parked there because he needed to run inside the store quickly. The officer responded there were available parking spaces nearby.
No injuries
12:30 p.m., 7000 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive
Traffic accident: No one was injured but two vehicles were significantly damaged in a collision. According to a police report, a Toyota pickup truck was on Broadway Street, facing east, when the driver pulled out to Gulf of Mexico Drive to head north. The truck was struck on the driver's side near the rear by a southbound Ford passenger car. The investigating officer estimated damage to each car was about $7,000-$8,000. Airbags did not deploy. The driver of the Ford initially complained of shortness of breath, and Fire Rescue was called, but no one was taken to the hospital. The Ford had to be towed from the scene. The pickup driver was issued a summons for failure to yield right of way.
Time passes
2:58 p.m., 4200 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive
Missing item: A man who first noticed his $8,500 watch missing in April 2018 called police to make a report to begin an insurance claim. The said he searched his belongings once he returned home last year but was unable to find the watch. He said he did not report it missing immediately because he was hoping it would turn up somewhere he forgot to check.
Bumped bumper
2:39 p.m., 1400 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive
Property damage: A resident called police to report damage to her car. An officer spoke to the car owner and noted a four-inch scrape with missing paint on the passenger side of the front bumper. The car owner said her detailer had pointed out the damage, and she didn’t know where it came from. The officer said a report would be filed.
You made the mess . . .
3:32 p.m., 2300 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive
Hazmat incident: Police responded with Fire-Rescue to the scene of a hydraulic fluid spill. A high-lift scaffold was being moved when a hydraulic line broke, spilling fluid on the ground and the nearby grass. The scaffold owner sent a team to clean up the mess.
Creepy boat
1:43 a.m., 2600 block of Harbourside Drive
Suspicious incident: Police were alerted to strange noises coming from Longboat Key Fire-Rescue’s boat. After talking to the caller, who said the noises were ongoing for about an hour, it was determined a faulty bilge pump was to blame – and that the Fire-Rescue was aware of the problem.
No place for a ball game
8:57 a.m., 100 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive
Suspicious person: A man carrying an aluminum baseball bat was reported walking through Quickpoint Park. No one was found after a search of the park trail and Overlook Park.
