- December 1, 2024
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2:28 a.m., 5600 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive
Public service: A police officer assisted a person who was having difficulty with GPS navigation to find a nearby beach resort.
Dog days of summer
12:38 p.m., 2800 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive
Animal report: A dog reported on the beach turned out to be a properly documented service animal, wearing a red vest and a leash. There was no cause for further action by police. Dogs not properly documented are not permitted on town beaches.
Special delivery
1:40 p.m., 600 block of Russell Street
Traffic collision: No one was injured, and police reported minor damage to both vehicles involved in a collision. A U.S. Postal Service truck was delivering mail when its driver pulled away from a roadside mailbox. The truck and the sedan driving past bumped, resulting in bumper damage to the sedan and door damage to the mail vehicle. A police officer was not able to determine fault, and neither driver conceded causing the incident. Both drivers exchanged information.
Just right
1:47 p.m., in the Gulf, near 3700 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive
Boating violation: The town’s police marine patrol unit answered a call about a boat possibly anchored too close to shore. The marine patrol officer determined the boat was anchored properly and spoke to the caller regarding his findings.
Just to be safe
4:14 p.m., 3200 block of Bayou Road
Public service: A person selling items to strangers through a social-media site called police seeking a special patrol while the transaction took place. An officer drove past the house, which resulted in the caller waving and saying all was fine.
Uplifting police work
5:01 p.m., 1000 block of Longboat Club Road
Animal call: A caller to police was concerned about an osprey seemingly trapped on a ninth-floor balcony. An officer and unit keyholder arrived to find a large bird on the balcony alongside a half-eaten dead fish. The officer surmised the bird might have dropped the fish while eating, landed to reclaim it and couldn’t gain altitude fast enough to clear the balcony’s walls. The officer assisted the bird above the balcony walls and it flew away on its own.
No trouble
9:07 p.m., 1400 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive
Alarm/rescue: An activated medical alert alarm informed first responders to a resident’s possible fall. Fire-rescue personnel also responded and learned the alarm had been inadvertently set off. No fall had taken place.
Not a bank caper
10:30 a.m., 500 Bay Isles Road
Suspicious person: A white van and people in front of a bank on a Sunday morning aroused enough suspicion for someone to call police about the unusual set of circumstances. Turns out, the people were installing new tile inside the business.
The circle of life
2:30 p.m., 100 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive
Animal call: A caller sought help from police for an injured snook, found in the water near the shore. An officer arrived and explained that wildlife rescuers typically respond to calls about seabirds, manatees, dolphins, turtles and similar creatures. Not fish. The caller asked what, then, could be done. The officer responded the best thing is to let nature run its course with the four-foot long gamefish. As the caller released the fish , the officer reported, it was obviously no longer living. The caller walked back to the shoreline.
Who’s a good dog?
3:56 p.m., 4000 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive
Animal call: Police were called about a dog on the beach and an owner who had thrown the pet into the water several times. The caller was concerned because the dog seemed exhausted. An officer spoke to the properly documented service dog’s owner, who said they frequently play in this way, and the dog loves the water.
Work in progress
11:07 p.m., 400 block of N. Shore Road
Noise: A north-end resident complained to police about work noise coming from the Florida Department of Transportation project on the Longboat Pass bridge. The officer reported hearing the noise too but told the caller the work was approved and nothing could be done.
You’ll get nothing
12:40 p.m., 3700 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive
Suspicious circumstance: A resident called police to report receiving a call regarding a relative’s involvement in a traffic crash in another state, and a request for $7,000 by the end of the business day. The caller said he would be in touch later after the resident insisted on confirming the story. No personal or financial information was provided to the suspicious caller. The relative had not been involved in any kind of trouble.
Ticket to ride
1:18 p.m., 500 block of Bay Isles Parkway
Public service: While on patrol southbound on Gulf of Mexico Drive, a police officer was notified of a man walking south looking for a bus stop for a ride to Sarasota. The officer found the man, who said he was homeless, and offered to give him a lift to a bus stop. The man, who was first checked for wants and warrants, was taken to a nearby stop.
Gimme shelter
5:47 p.m., 2500 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive
Disturbance: Police spoke to a woman who had been asked to leave a vacation resort property because she was a not an authorized guest and yelled at a security officer. She told police she had sought shelter from a rainstorm under a resort canopy. The security officer said it was not raining when he encountered the woman, who told police she lived at a homeless shelter in Sarasota. Police asked if she wanted to be taken home, and she refused all assistance. She was told not to return to the property.
9:43 a.m., 600 block of Marbury Lane
Traffic: The positions of a landscaping truck and a cement truck parked near the corner of Marbury Lane and General Harris Street reportedly blocked a trash-collection truck from getting through. When police arrived two minutes after the first report, there were no signs of any of the trucks mentioned.
Just passing through
6:10 p.m., 2100 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive
Suspicious person: Police were called to check out a report of a man, sitting under a tree alongside a golf course. He told police he was fine, didn’t need medical attention and was a transient. Police offered him a ride to Bradenton Beach, which he accepted.