Longboat Key Cops Corner: A break from fishing

Jan. 11

Fishing break

1:26 p.m., 2200 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Suspicious incident: The property manager of a condominium community called police to relay a resident’s report of someone relieving themselves in beachside shrubbery. An officer met with a person answering the description, who admitted he had urinated in the landscaping and that he was sorry.  The officer also noted alcoholic beverages in cupholders of the fishing chairs used by the man and another. The officer reminded them that alcohol is never allowed on town beaches.

It’s still speeding

1:34 p.m., 500 block of Broadway Street

Traffic: A driver was warned for driving 27 mph in a 20 mph zone. No wants or warrants were connected with the driver.

No warning

1:45 p.m., 3800 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Rescue assist: Police responded with fire rescue units to a bicycle crash with a injury reported. The cyclist said she crashed after running over a pipe laid across the sidewalk by a contractor crew.  No cones or other warnings alerted her to the obstacle until it was too late. An officer spoke to the contractor crew, which had moved north by the time first responders arrived. The cyclist refused treatment at the scene.

First impressions

2:49 p.m., 700 block of Broadway Street

Parking warning: Responding to an anonymous complaint of illegal parking, an officer arrived to find one vehicle parked without a now-required permit. As the officer was checking for criminal wants or warrants connected with the vehicle, its owner walked up. The driver, who had just completed a job interview nearby, was told of the town’s permit system in the neighborhood and was issued a verbal warning.

Leashes, please

5:35 p.m., 6900 block of Lois Avenue

Animal call: A caller alerted police to a dog without a leash, walking with its owner in the neighborhood. The caller said the dog had approached a child in a playful manner, which prompted the call to police. An officer found the dog, now leashed, with its owner and handed out a pamphlet containing information on the town’s requirement that dogs be leashed at all times.

Move along

9:21 p.m., 1000 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Traffic warning: Police stopped to chat with the driver of a truck parked in the safety lane of Gulf of Mexico Drive while unloading a transported vehicle. The officer issued the driver a written warning and directed him to a safer (and legal) place to unload.

Jan. 12

All is well

10:26 a.m., 4800 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Welfare check: A property manager flagged down an officer over concerns raised by the lack of contact with a resident for a number of weeks. Nothing seemed out of ordinary in the resident’s unit, and no one was home.

Read all about it

11:20 a.m., 1000 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Dog on the beach: An out of town dog owner received a pamphlet explaining the town’s rules on dogs following a call to police from a person who did not wish to be identified or contacted. The dog owner said she was unaware of the town’s rules on dogs and the beach. In addition to the pamphlet, she was given a verbal warning.

Groovy, man

12:05 p.m., 300 block of Firehouse Court

Suspicious vehicle: A caller who didn’t wish to be identified called police regarding a older-model bus parked in the street. The owner told an officer he was performing maintenance on the vehicle but would move it to his driveway to obey no-parking-on-the-street regulations.

Jan. 13

Information, please

9:55 a.m., 2600 block of Harbourside Drive

Citizen assist: A caller to police, who had just received a cease-and-desist order, wanted to know what his legal rights were. The officer explained this was a civil-law matter and that the best place to start to learn more was to contact the party that served the document.

Bad break

12:25 p.m., 6600 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Traffic: An officer on duty in Longbeach Village conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle with a brake light that did not work. The driver said she was unaware of its dysfunction and that the car belonged to a relative. The driver was issued a verbal warning.

Need for speed

1:37 p.m., Broadway Street

Traffic: A vehicle that appeared to be traveling faster than the posted 20 mph speed limit was confirmed by radar to be moving at 30 mph. Once stopped, the driver to the officer he believed the speed limit was 25 mph. A written warning was issued.

Every. Single. Time

2:15 p.m., 2500 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Dropped 911 calls: An officer spoke to the property manager of a resort from which more than 60 unsubstantiated 911 calls had been received in recent weeks. The manager responded that she was not aware police were still receiving such calls on the emergency line, and that a phone company technician had been out twice in an attempt to fix the issue. The manager said the company would be called again.

Jan. 14

Help getting home

12:31 p.m., 4600 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Rescue assist: Police helped a fall victim return home following an incident on a sidewalk. First responders were alerted to a person down on the sidewalk by passers-by. The person was alert and conscious and said the fall was caused by an uneven patch of sidewalk and refused treatment.

Jan. 15

Needing help

4:40 a.m., 5600 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Rescue assist: Police and fire rescue units responded to a report of a woman sitting on the sidewalk. The woman was conscious but appeared disoriented and was not communicating clearly. She was taken to the hospital.