Longboat Key Cops Corner: Masked stowaways

Nov. 29

Not-so-welcome aboard

1:20 p.m., 700 block of Binnacle Point Road

Animal call: Police responded to a resident’s complaint of a family of raccoons living aboard his boat. The officer called Manatee County Animal Control to further pursue the case.

Money moves

3:45 p.m., 4400 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Suspicious activity: Police responded to the beach in connection to a report of a woman dancing strangely on the beach. No such woman was found either on the beach or nearby.

Nov. 30

Failure to illuminate

8:08 a.m., 500 block of Putter Lane

Fire assist: Police and fire-rescue units responded to a neighborhood over a power failure in the area. When police arrived, fire-rescue personnel were already speaking to the caller and other neighbors. There were no downed power lines or other obvious issues. Florida Power and Light was notified. 

Peaceful protest

10:06 a.m., 3400 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive 

Suspicious person: Police were called to look into a report of a suspicious person, sitting in a beach chair near the entrance of a public beach parking area. The man told an officer he was protesting because "this is where all the money is,'' according to a report. The man identified himself only by first name, said he was homeless and that he was known to officers in Bradenton Beach. No crime was committed, and the officer left after advising the man to be careful around passing traffic. 

Never mind

3:15 p.m., police headquarters

Lost property: A man came to the police department inquiring about a backpack he said disappeared from the beach. The man said he found a note saying the backpack was taken to the police department. When he arrived, the police said they had no such bag in their possession. The man refused to fill out a statement form and only wanted a case number. At one point, the man said he was fine and did not need further assistance. He was given a case number.

Dec. 1

Out on its own

9:11 a.m., 700 block of Dream Island Road

Suspicious incident: Police were unable to reach the registered owner of a powerboat found behind a resident's home. The boat had apparently drifted there. An officer checked its registration number and found nothing out of the ordinary and left messages for the owner about the whereabouts of his boat. 

Dec. 2

Still missing

1:06 p.m., 800 block of Bayport Way

Lost property: A resident spoke with an officer about a sit-on style kayak missing since Tropical Storm Eta. The resident said it had been on a rack before the storm but hadn't been seen since. The officer said there had been no such property turned in to police, but that he would keep an eye out for it while on marine patrol. 

No routine flat tire

2:29 p.m., 2900 block of Harbourside Drive

Traffic obstruction: An officer encountered a traffic obstruction in the form of a Ford Model T with a flat tire. The officer stood by at the scene until an auto service truck could arrive. 

ATV ride included

1:11 p.m., 5100 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Missing person: A call to police about a person who had gone for a walk three hours earlier but had not returned prompted a search along the beach. The missing person was found safe and given a ride home on the police department all-terrain vehicle.

Dec. 4

Gotta go

12:29 p.m., 2200 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Suspicious vehicle: An employee of a residential community reported a truck drove around the security gate and parked in a resident's reserved space without authorization. When the employee drove a golf cart toward the truck to investigate, the driver drove out of the community and north on Gulf of Mexico Drive. The employee said he would forward video of the incident to the police.