Cops Corner: The caller knew too much

AUG. 17

How did they know that?

2:13 p.m., 4800 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Suspicious calls: A series of unexplained phone calls to a resident prompted a call to police. The recipient of the calls told police she had received several calls explaining her back and knee braces are ready and would be shipped soon. While the woman acknowledged having back and knee problems, she said never ordered such equipment. The callers always claim to be working with Social Security and never ask for personal information. Still, the woman was advised to sign up for a monitoring service while she seeks to verify the calls through her physician’s office and Social Security officials.

AUG. 18

Hey, pay attention

10:31 a.m., 4700 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Traffic: A driver was verbally warned for distracted driving. An officer reported the driver was looking for a specific beach access point with a smartphone app.

Making a connection

8:53 p.m., 6900 block of Poinsetta Avenue

Code enforcement: An officer checking out a report of a travel trailer encountered a man whose vehicle was connected to water and electrical service on a Longboat Key lot, a violation of town codes. The man said he had spoken to a city official who told him he was “grandfathered’’ because of the property’s multi-family status. The man said he was leaving soon with the trailer anyway, and unhooked at the officer’s request.

AUG. 19

Running late

3:07 a.m., 4500 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Agency assist: Longboat Police were called to help Manatee County Sheriff’s deputies in the case of a white Chrysler van found unoccupied, locked and running in their county. The Manatee deputies tracked the ownership to a Longboat residence and wanted to know if the owner was OK with the van’s whereabouts and status. Reached in Treasure Island, the owner said she had left the van at a friend’s home and would deal with it on her way home from Pinellas County.

Protect and serve

8:48 p.m., 500 Bay Isles Parkway

Traffic: A report of reckless driving brought officers to Bay Isles Parkway, where they found a 1998 Oldsmobile on the wrong side of the road. In speaking with the driver, they learned the 93-year-old man was lost and doesn’t drive at night. After ascertaining the man was otherwise OK, an officer contacted a neighbor and drove him home to Bradenton. A re-examination request was also filed with the state for his drivers’ license.

AUG. 20

Ooops!

1:59 p.m., 3100 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Gas leak: Police were called, along with Fire-Rescue, to the scene of a natural gas leak. A construction crew ruptured the line while working. A gas company crew arrived to fix the line.