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Cops Corner

Woman calls police to investigate suspicious poo in pool

A Longboat Key officer investigated the feces, which turned out not to be from criminal activity. This and other Longboat Key Police reports in this week's Cops Corner.


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Friday, April 12

Can't be too early, right? 

2:16 a.m., 300 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Suspicious Vehicle: While on patrol, an officer conducting a business check noticed a red truck with its headlights on and parked in a private parking lot. The officer spoke with the driver, who said he recently moved to the area, was a carpenter for a job nearby and was waiting to go to work. A check for wants and warrants came back negative, and the officer let the man be. 


No drop-off service allowed 

1:35 p.m., Greer Island

Vehicle Stop: Marine patrol officers observed a man operating a pontoon boat in the vessel exclusionary zone on the east side of Greer Island. The officers approached the vessel and its operator, who admitted he knew of the exclusionary zone but was dropping off a passenger. The operator received a civil citation for the violation. 


Quick trip to the gas station 

4:34 p.m., 6600 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Officer Public Service: Dispatch sent officers to a citizen assist call after a caller contacted 911 because he ran out of gas. Officers arrived on scene and the driver said he was unfamiliar with the vehicle and had run out of gas. One of the officers provided him with a ride to the gas station and then back to his vehicle. After filling the car with some gas, the driver was able to continue on his way. 


Saturday, April 13

False alarm 

8:12 p.m., 100 block of North Shore Road 

Distress: A caller reported a possible person in distress who was flashing a white light about 300 yards off of Greer Island. Upon arrival, an officer saw the white light and identified it as the safe water navigational marker. 


Sunday, April 14

‘Just give it a little gas’ 

4:17 p.m., Jewfish Key 

Disabled Vehicle: While on marine patrol, an officer was waved down by a boater who could not free his anchor. The operator said the boat was a rental and he could not get the anchor free. The officer instructed the boater to go forward slightly to break the anchor free. The instructions worked, and the boater was in compliance with the officer’s safety check, so he was sent on his way. 


Mad about music 

5:51 p.m., Jewfish Key

Noise Disturbance: A resident called 911 to report a boat playing loud rap music and flying a confederate flag. An officer spoke to the caller, who said the music was loud and vulgar and she wanted it to be turned down. The Longboat Key marine patrol unit was unavailable at the time.  


Raccoon relocation 

5:58 p.m, 200 block of Sands Point Road 

Animal Problem: Dispatch sent an officer and animal control to a report of an adult raccoon with two babies in a pool area. The officer arrived first and found the raccoons taking shelter in a large planter. Animal services retrieved the baby raccoons and set a trap for the adult. 


Monday, April 15

Probably should’ve walked 

9:07 a.m., 1200 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Vehicle Stop: A license plate reader notified officers of a red convertible traveling with an expired tag. But, the picture taken by the license plate reader camera showed the tag on a silver Honda. An officer located the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop. The driver admitted to not having a valid Florida driver’s license and never received one. He also said he just purchased this vehicle and took the license plate off of his old red convertible and put it on the silver Honda. The Honda was not registered nor did it have insurance. In the end, the driver racked up three criminal citations with court dates and a traffic citation, and the officer took away the license plate and had the vehicle towed. 


Zero tolerance for dogs 

6:54 p.m., 100 block of Broadway Street 

Animal Problem: An officer was dispatched to the beach in reference to a dog on the beach. The complainant reported there was a group of five people with two dogs. When the officer arrived at the beach and found the group, he attempted to explain the town’s ordinance that prohibits dogs on the beach. According to the police report, the group was highly uncooperative and one of the women took both dogs and walked south on the beach. The officer caught up with her and again said that dogs were not allowed on the beach. She became argumentative and started to walk north on the beach, the police report said. A sergeant then arrived on scene and the group continued to be uncooperative. The officers escorted the group off of the beach. 


Wednesday, April 17

Feces identification

8:07 a.m., 1000 block of Bogey Lane

Suspicious Incident: Dispatch sent an officer for a reported suspicious incident. At the residence, the officer spoke with the homeowner who said she was concerned someone was putting dog feces in and around her pool, which is secured with a fence and locked gate behind the residence. The officer walked with the homeowner to the pool to see the feces, which the officer realized was from a raccoon and not a dog. Upon further investigation, the officer found that the residence was surrounded by shrubs that had more raccoon feces around it. 


Warm welcome home

5:25 p.m., 3600 block of Fair Oaks Place

Suspicious Incident: A neighbor called the police to report suspicious individuals who showed up at a vacant home. The caller said he heard a loud bang in the house and saw one man exit the house. Police showed up at the residence-in-question and spoke with the man inside, who identified himself as the homeowner with proper identification. He said he had purchased the home and was in the process of having some renovations. 

 

author

Carter Weinhofer

Carter Weinhofer is the Longboat Key news reporter for the Observer. Originally from a small town in Pennsylvania, he moved to St. Petersburg to attend Eckerd College until graduating in 2023. During his entire undergraduate career, he worked at the student newspaper, The Current, holding positions from science reporter to editor-in-chief.

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