- February 19, 2025
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10:27 a.m., 4400 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive
Vehicle Stop: While on patrol, an officer received a hit from the license plate reader for a vehicle with an expired registration. The officer located the vehicle and stopped it, then advised the driver of the reason for the stop. The driver said he was not the registered owner of the vehicle but also admitted his out-of-state license expired last year and he did not have his wallet on him. He was also unable to provide any insurance or registration information.
The officer checked the driver’s information in the database, which showed his driver’s license had expired in 2006 and he had a possible warrant. The database also stated the man should be considered armed and dangerous with violent tendencies, so the officer requested backup.
Backup arrived, and the officers received notification from dispatch that the warrant was in-state only. The officers issued the driver a criminal citation with a court date for driving with an expired license over six months, and let him off with warnings for the other information he failed to produce. A passenger in the car took control of the vehicle because the driver legally had not been allowed to drive since 2006.
3:30 p.m., 500 block of Bay Isles Parkway
Disturbance: Longboat Key officers were dispatched to a reported verbal disturbance. The officers met with the manager of a dry cleaning service who said a man started a verbal argument about two pairs of pants that were allegedly lost. According to the manager, he gave the man a check for one pair of pants, but the second pair was found and returned to the man. The business policy, though, states they are not responsible for lost articles of clothing.
The pants owner became irate, according to the report, and demanded they pay for his second pair of pants or else he would refuse to leave. The man also said the second pair of pants that the business found were not his original pair. The officers reminded the pants owner of the business’ policy and advised him this was a civil matter, not criminal. The man was also advised it was in his best interest to leave the business to avoid further incidents. He left with two pairs of pants and the check to buy a new pair.
5:30 p.m., 600 block of Bay Isles Parkway
Property Damage: Officers responded to a citizen assist call after a cyclist allegedly ran into a gate pole. At the scene, the officers met with a security guard who said a cyclist was not paying attention and ran into the down gate arm. The security guard said the man was not injured and had since left the scene, but provided the officer with the name of the cyclist. There was no damage to the gate, but the security guard said he needed the incident documented by the police.
9:22 p.m., 600 block of Saint Judes Drive
Noise Disturbance: Dispatch sent an officer to investigate a noise complaint in the area. The complainant said he heard loud music coming from a specific address, but the responding officer was unable to hear music from the mentioned residence. The officer spoke to the complainant, who said the music was loud, but he could no longer hear the music and he no longer found it annoying. Before leaving the scene, the officer spoke with the musical resident and advised him to keep the music down, which he complied with.
9:47 a.m., 700 block of Bayport Way
Civil Disturbance: An officer was dispatched to the scene of a civil disturbance between a plumber and a resident who refused to pay an invoice. According to the plumber, the company previously provided a diagnosis of a cracked pipe to the resident and he was on scene to repair the pipe this morning. But when he arrived, there was a different plumbing company completing the work, and the resident said he no longer needed assistance from the original plumber. When the plumber told the resident he still had a $524 invoice to be paid, the resident refused to pay it.
The responding officer told the plumber that he could pursue this in small claims court, but the plumber was unsatisfied with the answer. The plumber’s supervisor called and spoke to the officer, became agitated and said the resident should be arrested if he did not pay the invoice. A Longboat Key sergeant then arrived on the scene and spoke to the supervisor over the phone. The plumbing supervisor proceeded to call the officer a profane name and said the officers were not doing their jobs. It was again relayed to the plumbers that the matter would have to go through small claims court.
The resident said he never heard back from the plumbing service after the first visit, and he assumed they did not want the job. He also claimed he never signed a contract or agreement with the original plumbing service concerning the invoice. Both were advised this matter no longer required police assistance.