Longboat Key Cops Corner: They played their cards wrong

Feb. 23

No soliciting means no soliciting

9:41 a.m., 500 block of Bay Isles Parkway

Suspicious person: Police called to a shopping center parking lot checked the area for a pair of men trying to hand out business cards. They were not located.

Quittin’ time

6:59 p.m., 700 block of Norton Street

Noise: Police responding to a noise complaint found two men working with a tile saw on a home-construction worksite. The men were told of the town’s regulations regarding construction hours. Work stopped immediately.

Feb. 24

Awakening

6:11 a.m., 500 block of Bay Isles Parkway

Rescue: A man who had fallen asleep in a car drew the attention of a caller, prompting a response from fire-rescue and police. The man, who was determined not to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, awoke disoriented and thought his wife was lost. Police reached her on the phone and she came to pick him up.

Found round

1:52 p.m., 200 block of Sands Point Road

Found property: A security supervisor at a resort called police to report the discovery of a 9 mm bullet on the property. Police took custody of the bullet.

Game, set and match

4:59 p.m., 4000 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Disturbance: Police were called concerning an argument over time on a tennis court. After the officer discussed the matter with the involved people, a compromise was reached.

H2Ohhhh

6:45 p.m., 500 block of Bayview Drive

Public service: With water gushing from a pipe in a homeowner’s yard, the resident asked an officer about repair responsibility. The officer told the resident he was responsible, and the man said he would contact a plumber immediately.

Feb. 25

No injuries

5:58 a.m., 500 block of Wedge Lane

Traffic crash: A car was towed from the scene of a two-car crash on a residential street. Police reported a delivery driver told the investigating officer he was reaching for something when his car crashed into a parked car. No injuries were reported, and the driver was cited for careless driving. His car was damaged extensively. The parked car appeared drivable with damage to the left rear.

Dial M for Mystery

11:25 a.m., 1000 block of Bogey Lane

Suspicious circumstance: A resident reported several instances of his own name and home telephone number appearing on the home phone line caller ID and had identity theft and fraud concerns. An officer sent to investigate happened to be present when one of these calls came in. He answered and heard the beginnings of a likely fraudulent pitch for computer repair services. No personal data was exchanged and no money lost. The resident was provided information on protection from so-called spoofing attacks.

Too close

6:45 p.m. 300 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Traffic crash: A driver was cited for following too closely in a crash on the south end of the island. Police reported one vehicle was stopped at a traffic light when a second vehicle crashed into it from behind. The first vehicle was not seriously damaged and driven away from the scene. The second had to be towed. Police said the driver of the second vehicle reported not having sufficient time to stop. He was cited. There were no injuries.

Feb. 26

Idle time

3:32 a.m., 500 block of Channel Lane

Noise: Police asked the driver of a tractor-trailer to shut off his engine while waiting to deliver landscaping materials after complaints about the noise. The driver said he had arrived early.  

Lost and found

9:10 a.m., 100 block of Broadway Street

Found property: An officer on routine patrol found an out-of-state drivers license on the ground in the beach access parking lot. The license was turned in to the town’s lost and found.

Not wild about fire

9:51 a.m., 7100 block of LaLenaire Drive

Assist other agency: Police were asked to help the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office with an investigation of a possible brushfire, which turned out to be a homeowner burning vegetation on his property. A sheriff’s deputy told the resident to put out the fire. A police officer explained that such fires were generally prohibited and would require consultation with the fire department to perform properly.

Dust in the wind

9:55 a.m., 700 block of Broadway Street

Public service: A construction crew leader was concerned about a legally parked car near a construction site, where work was about to begin on a driveway. The man was afraid the car would get covered in dust. The officer assigned to the case said he had no information on the whereabouts of the out-of-state car’s owner but left a card on the windshield suggesting another legal parking location. The construction crew said they would cover the car with a tarp.

Nope, just traffic

12:57 a.m., 200 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Traffic: A caller to police was concerned the traffic light on the south end of the island was malfunctioning because traffic was backed up to the 2500 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive. The officer determined the traffic light was fine, and lunchtime traffic  was very heavy.

Gone fishin’

5:41 p.m., 1700 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Suspicious people: Two men hopping over a hedge on the way to the beach drew the attention of a caller in a condominium community. The men told police they had a friend who lived on the property and had used that route previously to fish on the beach. The officer confirmed their story but were advised they were trespassing and issued a verbal warning.

Feb. 27

Upside down

1:52 p.m., New Pass Bridge

Assist other agency: The police marine unit helped Sarasota Police’s marine unit with a report of a capsized sailboat and four occupants in the water. Upon arrival, officers found the four people being taken aboard a boat from Sarasota Sailing Squadron. The capsized sailboat was towed to land.

Hit and run

4:06 p.m., 2100 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Traffic crash: Police were looking for the driver of a car involved in a hit and run crash. A witness police she saw two cars collide on Gulf of Mexico Drive and stop on the western side of the road, facing south. The witness reported seeing the driver of one car get out, walk to the other car to speak to the driver. Then, the first driver got back in the car and drove off. The car with out of state tags was later found heavily damaged on Bay Isles Parkway. Police inventoried it, arranged for it to be towed and ordered it held for investigation. Minor damage was reported to the rear of the other car.