- November 2, 2024
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12:31 p.m., 6300 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive
Alarm: An officer sent to investigate an activated intruder alarm at a home arrived to discover the homeowner and a housekeeper had accidentally triggered the device. There was no sign of foul play, but the pair were also having trouble replacing a smoke-detector battery, so the officer helped with that, too.
3:12 p.m., 500 block of Bay Isles Parkway
Found property: A retail store manager called police to report an iPhone that had been found 90 days previously on the premises and held for an owner to claim. No one had inquired about the lost phone, so the manager sought to have it turned over to police. An officer took the phone, gave the manager a receipt and stored the phone in police department custody.
10:45 a.m., 500 block of Bay Isles Parkway
Traffic hazard: A woman told police about an incident in the parking lot of a retail shopping center that started with a driver making a scene and then driving away from it. The caller said she honked her horn to alert the driver who was beginning to back into her car. The driver of the backing vehicle then got out, yelled and drove off erratically, the woman reported. Police looked for a vehicle similar to the one described but could not find one.
7:08 p.m., 4800 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive
Suspicious vehicle: Police responded to a call about a sports sedan, parked with its windows closed, doors locked and engine running. A check by the officer linked the license-plate number to an auto dealership, which was closed. During the course of the investigation, the owner came outside and said he had been moving boxes into a nearby residence, and all was well.
12:06 p.m., west of 6500 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive
Boating call: The town’s marine patrol officer, a sergeant and the U.S. Coast Guard headed into the Gulf of Mexico on a report of a sailboat with a broken rudder, taking on water with a passenger aboard experiencing a medical emergency. The Coast Guard took the patient aboard and headed for shore. The police ascertained from the stricken-vessel’s captain that the water situation was under control and that the craft was securely anchored while waiting for a tow. Police asked the captain to either call 911 or use his marine radio to call for emergency assistance if needed.
9:13 a.m., 7200 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive
Road hazard: An officer who found a large piece of sheet metal in the northbound cycling lane alerted the town’s Public Works Department. It was too large to immediately remove from the roadway.
3:47 p.m., 200 block of Sands Point Road
Dog on the beach: An officer on marine patrol watched as a vessel with several people and a dog aboard arrived close to the beach. When they hopped out and waded ashore, the officer reminded the people that dogs are not allowed on the beach. They said they were unaware of the town rules and left the area without incident.
2:19 p.m., 5800 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive
Suspicious vehicle: A resident alerted police to a vehicle he did not recognize after the driver parked in the resident’s driveway. An officer spoke to the driver who produced a photo ID indicating he was a utility technician who said arrangements had been made to replace a meter outdoors. The officer relayed his reassuring findings with the resident.
9:33 a.m., 700 block of Longboat Club Road
Animal complaint: Police and an officer with Sarasota County Animal Control were called out to a report of an injured bat. The officer spoke to emergency dispatchers to let him know if police were needed at the scene.
4:03 a.m., 1200 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive
Traffic stop: An officer on routine patrol stopped a northbound vehicle after he noticed the passenger-side brake light was out. The out-of-state driver was issued a warning.
8 a.m., 6700 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive
Citizen assist: A resident of a second-floor apartment called police for help when she realized she was locked inside behind a malfunctioning door. An officer responded and used a thin metal strip to disengage the door mechanism and open it from the outside. With a deadbolt to secure the door when closed, the resident was advised to use a strip of duct tape to prevent the door from re-engaging until a locksmith can make a more permanent repair.