Longboat Key Cops Corner: A moving tribute

March 21

So long

2:07 p.m., 2000 block of Harbourside Drive

Citizen dispute: Police came to a residential complex to sort out a dispute between a homeowners’ association representative and a resident who was moving out. The representative said the resident was in violation of community rules forbidding weekend moving. Additionally, third party personnel were removing property for the resident’s unit without anyone on hand to vouch for them. The representative said coordination needed to have taken place to better inform all parties about what was happening. Police verified the third party moving personnel and asked for a call-back if there was a disturbance.

Missing something?

6:29 p.m., police headquarters

Found property: A person who refused to give their name came to the police station to turn in an out-of-state drivers license found on the sidewalk. It was taken into safe-keeping by an officer.

March 22

Making waves

1:05 p.m., near Bayou Hammock

Boating: A boater seen operating on plane and producing an excessive wake in a no-wake, idle speed zone was issued a verbal warning by the town’s marine patrol officer.  A similar warning was issued to another boater later in the day near Ken Thompson Park.

Technology alert

8:16 p.m., 500 block of Juan Anasco Drive

Suspicious incident: An out-of-town resident notified police after receiving an alert from a doorbell-based security system at his home, though the resident was unable to ascertain exactly why the alert was sounded. All doors and windows of the home were checked and no signs of an attempted break-in were found.

Bed time

10:56 p.m., 3000 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Noise: Responding to a noise complaint, an officer spoke to a man who said his children were watching television. The man said he would have the children go to bed.

March 23

No emergency

9:59 a.m., 4700 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Abandoned 911 call: An officer was sent to a resort to investigate a dropped call to the 911 emergency line. The officer spoke to a guest who said she was not wearing her glasses and dialed incorrectly. She said she did not need police help.

Healthy and happy

10:19 a.m., near Buttonwood Harbor

Animal call: The town’s marine patrol officer was summoned to help Mote Marine find a manatee possibly injured in a boat-propeller strike. Numerous manatee were in the area, though none seemed to be injured or suffering.

No worries

7:12 p.m., 1400 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Agency assistance: An officer was asked to help a Manatee County deputy inform a resident about a vehicle found in the water. But shortly after the call, the officer was notified the deputy had made contact with the resident directly.

Nature’s alarm

10:27 p.m., 6900 block of Longboat Drive South

Animal complaint: A resident called police to report what sounded like an activated alarm coming from the property next door. An officer arrived and determined the sound was that of a whip-poor-will bird.

March 24

First World problems

5:53 a.m., 3300 block of Sabal Cove

Citizen assist: Police were called to look into a possible water main break when a resident reported a large amount of water flowing from a neighboring property. An officer found water streaming from a swimming pool overflow drain and a hose left running in the pool. The officer turned off the water to the hose.

Gotta stop

3:52 p.m., Bay Isles Parkway and Harbourside Drive

Suspicious vehicle: Police looked for but did not find a vehicle that failed to stop for the gate heading into a private neighborhood.

No serious injuries

4:50 p.m., 400 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Traffic crash: A driver was cited for failure to yield in a traffic crash. The cited driver said he was pulling out to turn left for southbound Gulf of Mexico Drive when he felt an impact, prompting side airbag deployment. The other driver, who was driving a relative’s car, panicked and drove home. That driver reported driving north on GMD when he was struck in the passenger side. Damage was estimated at $4,000 and $6,000 respectively.

Shoo!

7:55 p.m., 800 block of Jungle Queen Way

Citizen assist: A resident called police to alert them to a sprinkler that had been running all day at a nearby property. The sprinkler was linked to a motion detector on a dock, designed to deter birds, but it would not shut off on its own. A neighbor was able to cut off the water supply and offered to inform the homeowner of the issue.

“It’s a rental!”

8:23 p.m., 3300 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Traffic: The driver of a rental car was stopped and informed the vehicle’s tail lights were not on after dark. The driver said he was unfamiliar with the car’s controls. A written warning was issued. Minutes later, two blocks away, another officer also issued a written warning to a driver unfamiliar with the controls of a rental vehicle.

March 25

A little early

4:50 a.m., 800 block of Broadway Street

Noise: A call to police alerted the agency to a cooking-grease removal service at work and making noise before established hours. The worker told a responding officer that he had no notes regarding town noise ordinances, but that he was finished and would be leaving.

Not welcome

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

Citizen dispute: Police informed a man who created a disturbance a retail store that he was no longer allowed to go there. A manager of the store reported the man yelled and used foul language before riding off on a bicycle. The man told an officer he has health issues and believed the store staff was laughing at him. He said he understood the officer’s instructions and rode off to the north.  About 30 minutes later, management of a mid-island retail store called to report a man in the parking lot yelling at people, followed by a report from a store on the north end of the island. Police escorted the man to Bradenton Beach.

Dinner and a show

9:52 p.m., 3100 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Fire: A report of a fire on the beach prompted an officer to investigate. What he found was a person alongside a portable barbecue grill. The person said she had cooked a steak earlier in the evening and was now just playing with the grill. She was told not to make fire on the beach. She said she wouldn’t.