Shallow water and big boats don't mix

Friday, Jan. 13

All boxed in 

2:44 p.m., 2400 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive 

Traffic hazard: While traveling south on Gulf of Mexico Drive, an officer noticed multiple vehicles swerving around a cardboard box that was sitting in the middle of the lane. The officer pulled over and removed the box from the street. Another driver pulled over and offered to take the box off the officer’s hands. 

No flight risk

7:13 p.m., 4200 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Animal complaint: An officer was dispatched to the area after word of a possible injured bird. Shortly after, a Sarasota Animal Services unit took over, rescued the bird and took it to the Wildlife Center of Southwest Florida. 

Saturday, Jan. 14

Weekend homework

9:31 a.m., 500 block of Reclinata Drive

Citizen assist: A resident made a call to the department to complain about his neighbor across the street cutting tile. The officer returned his call and explained that cutting tile on a Saturday was not against the law. The resident thanked the officer for the information. 

No touching

9:46 a.m., 4000 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Fire assist: Police and fire personnel came to a home to check into a report of a downed power line. The wire wasn’t impeding traffic but was draped across a residential driveway. The homeowner was told to stay clear of the until a utility team could arrive and make repairs. A crew from the power company arrived promptly.

Not my property

1:53 p.m., 6500 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Citizen assist: A resident called police to alert them of water bubbling up from the ground adjacent to a home. The resident said the water and backflow valves at the home were closed, but because water still bubbled up, he surmised the problem was on the town’s side of the water-service pipe. A staffer from the town’s Public Works Department was called and responded to the scene.

Sunday, Jan. 15

Not the town’s property

5 p.m., 600 block of Old Compass Road

Citizen assist: A steady stream of water coming from a home’s backflow valve prompted a call to police, which in turn prompted a call to a staffer from the town’s Public Works Department. The staffer said the leak was on the residential side of the town’s water meter and would have to be addressed by a private plumber.

Monday, Jan. 16

Nowhere fast  

9:54 a.m., Sister Keys

Boating call: The town’s marine patrol officer encountered a vessel aground outside of the Intracoastal Waterway’s marked channel. Connecting with the boat’s captain via radio, the officer learned no emergency assistance was needed, and that a commercial towing service was on the way.

Not grate

12:46 p.m., 2500 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Citizen assist: Police took several steps in rectifying a report of a storm drain uncovered by the requisite iron grate. An officer was able to move the grate back into place, but it remained loose. An orange cone was placed at the site for safety purposes until it could be better looked at.

Not a problem

8:35 a.m., 4500 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Citizen assist: A caller to police complained about a vehicle and its trailer parked improperly along a public right of way. An officer sent to investigate found the combination parked properly in a gravel piece of private property, not subject to town parking rules. The caller was informed of the officer’s findings.

Tuesday, Jan. 17

Soapy situation

10:41 p.m., 500 block of Sanctuary Drive

Fire assist: Police was called out to accompany fire-rescue personnel on a call of a person stuck in a shower. Fire-rescue personnel handled the call.

Wednesday, Jan. 18

Never mind

9:30 p.m., 1000 block of Bogey Lane

Alarm: An officer responding to an activated alarm learned from the alarm-monitoring company that the resident accidentally set off the device and that no emergency was in progress.

Thursday, Jan. 19

Checking with police

8 a.m., police headquarters

Information report: Police provided a Sarasota resident with an information report about a fraudulent use of a check on the resident’s account. The Sarasota resident said his personal bank had requested a police report be made regarding the incident. Longboat police said they had no jurisdiction in the case.

Friday, Jan. 20

He’s back every day

6:51 a.m., 600 block of Dream Island Road

Suspicious person: Police quickly determined that a report of a suspicious person in a neighborhood was connected to the sighting of a brown van, known to officers as that of a newspaper delivery driver.

Maybe? Maybe not?

7:37 a.m., 600 block of Longview Drive

Noise complaints: Police were not able to confirm a report of disallowed work noise before 8 a.m. because of officers’ arrival time at the scene.