- April 18, 2024
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8:04 a.m., police headquarters
Citizen assist: A police officer reported being greeted at the station by a person seeking to borrow his cell phone. The person explained she had accidentally deleted the settings and reset her new iPhone back to its original state, rendering it unusable. The officer explained that 1) police offices can’t lend their cell phones to people and 2) she should visit an Apple service center for help in bringing her phone back to a useful life.
2:25 p.m., Jewfish Key
Abandoned vehicle/boat: While on marine patrol, an officer spotted a grey and white dinghy floating in the current alongside Jewfish Key. The officer surmised the little boat must have come loose in the winds of Hurricane Ian and drifted off. He returned it to the dinghy dock at the Linley Street boat ramp.
8 a.m., near Ringling Bridge
Assist other agencies: Sarasota Police, Longboat Key Police and the U.S. Coast Guard were called to the scene of a drifting sailboat and possibly a person in the water. Once officers arrived they quickly determined the boat was a derelict that had broken from its anchor. Also, no one was in danger or even in the water. Longboat’s officer remained to help until no longer required.
9:46 a.m., 6900 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive
Noise complaint: Outdoor music at a restaurant rose to the level of prompting a call to police but not to the level of breaking any laws, an officer determined. Nevertheless, the manager of the restaurant agreed to turn down the volume once the officer explained the nature of original caller’s noise complaint.
5:37 p.m., 500 block of Harbor Point Road
Citizen assist: The owner of a home on the real estate market called police to report a domestic-model SUV with out-of-state plates parked in the driveway. The owner said he didn’t know who owned the vehicle but theorized the SUV might belong to the new owners of the property. The responding officer checked the ownership through the vehicle’s registration and confirmed the homeowner’s theory. The homeowner said he would contact the buyer’s Realtor and make arrangements for the SUV to be moved.
1:48 p.m., 3400 block of Winding Oaks Drive
Animal complaint: An unwanted visitor in the form of a large turtle prompted a resident to call police for help. The aquatic intruder took up a position on the front porch of the caller and because it was a turtle, it was in no position to make a quick getaway. The responding officer lifted it and moved it to the back yard, near the water.
5:28 p.m., North Shore Road
Dog on the beach: An out-of-town dog owner, who conceded she knew it was against town rules, brought her dog to the north-end beach because, as she told an officer, her dog doesn’t like other dogs. The officer, who was responding to a called-in complaint, issued the dog owner a civil code citation.
10:59 a.m., 400 block of L’Ambiance Drive
Rescue assist: Police and fire personnel came to a condominium community on a report of a stuck elevator with riders inside. No injuries were reported and the fire department was able to rescue the people.
1:59 p.m., police headquarters
Found property: A woman came to the police department to drop off a purse she had found in October. The woman said she had initially written a notification about her discovery on a Facebook page frequented by Longboat Key residents and visitors, with no success. The purse contained typical purse contents with the notable exception of money, credit cards and identification. The police took the property for safe keeping.
4:41 p.m., 5800 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive
Noise complaints: The sound of a pool pump running at night at an unoccupied home was enough to prompt a resident to flag down a police officer on patrol. The officer took a look at the pool equipment and determined it was operating normally without violating town noise regulations. A police department civilian employee was able to find contact information for the absent homeowners and left a message about the situation.
9:39 p.m., 2000 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive
Citizen assist: An officer on patrol came across two vehicles on the side of the road, with people sitting in chairs nearby. His interest piqued, the officer stopped and learned one of the vehicles, a rental, had broken down. The other vehicle, also a rental but one that was still working, carried additional family members of the visiting group. The driver of the broken rental said they had been there since 4 p.m. and that she had spoken with the company but was told there was no ETA on help. The driver again called the company and let the officer explain the hazards presented by two cars and people in chairs on the side of the road. The customer-service representative said the help request would be moved to the top of the wait list. The officer said he would check on the waiting party from time to time.
9:38 a.m., 5600 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive
Suspicious incident: A witness watching a large dump truck deposit a load of material in a commercial parking lot called police to report what initially appeared to be an illegal act in progress. Once police arrived and spoke to the truck operator, officers learned the operation was part of a bonafide request made by the property owner in preparation for a parking lot expansion.
10:47 a.m, 6100 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive
Animal complaint: An aggressive raccoon accused by a homeowner of standing on its hind legs to look into his home could not be found by officers. The homeowner said the animal did not appear sick when it came to the front door and peered inside. Information on contacting Manatee County Animal Control was passed along.
5:23 p.m., 700 block of St. Judes Drive North
Noise complaint: The sound of a skid steer being operated in a back yard was enough to prompt a call to police. The responding officer spoke to the operator, who said he did not know the town’s 5 p.m. cutoff work such work noise and agreed to stop his work for the night.
