Police respond to marina where boat owner was stowing away contractors

Friday, Feb. 27

Ghost golfer

10:43 a.m., 4052 Gulf of Mexico Drive

Citizen assist: Police were called on a Friday morning to Bayfront Park after a caller reported someone hitting golf balls at the park, an action prohibited by town code. When police arrived at the park, there was no sign of the rogue golfer and no evidence of any wrongdoing. The officer then closed the case.

Denim-dressed loiterer

8:30 p.m., 6000 block Gulf of Mexico Drive

Suspicious person: Police were called by the owner of a restaurant on the north end of the island who said she was concerned about a man wearing a denim jacket who was sleeping on a bench in front of the restaurant. When police arrived, the officer saw a man wearing all black walking away from the shopping plaza and nobody else in the area. The officer approached the man who said he was not sleeping and did not wish to speak with the officer at all. With no evidence or reason to believe a crime was committed, the officer let the man be on his way and went to the restaurant to speak with the complainant. The restaurant owner said that since calling police, she had figured out that the man was the boyfriend of an employee and he was waiting for her shift to end. Case closed.

Saturday, Feb. 28

The headless snake

7:40 a.m., 2000 block Gulf of Mexico Drive

Suspicious incident: A condo owner called police after a concerning discovery in front of her condominium. When police arrived, the condo owner said a few days ago she had found a snake dead in front of her residence. Not an overly concerning sight by itself, but the state of the deceased animal raised eyebrows as its head had been severed from the body, seemingly purposely decapitated. The homeowner said she did not know how the snake ended up in its location, which she found suspicious and unusual, and had not seen anyone in the area prior to her discovery. Police canvassed the area, photographed the snake and requested surveillance footage, which was not immediately available according to the police report. The officer told the reporting resident to notify law enforcement of any other suspicious activity was seen. The case was then closed.

Locked out of my beach access

8:53 a.m., 5645 Gulf of Mexico Drive

Suspicious incident: A frustrated resident called police after an attempted walk to the beach where she found a newly installed gate blocking her way. When police arrived, the officer was told by the complainant that she has deeded access to the beach, but a fence with a pin code-required entry had since been installed. The officer drove over to the beach access and saw the gate with a note attached with an email asking those with deeded access to email for the pin. The officer returned to the complainant, shared the email address and said that beach access blockages are not a law enforcement matter, advising her to take up the matter in civil court if she had any more issues. The case was then closed.

Sunday, Feb. 1

Contractor stowaway

2:43 p.m., 2600 Harbourside Drive

Civil disturbance: An employee of a marina on Longboat Key called police when the owner of a boat slip refused to stop painting his vessel while docked in the slip against marina policy. The marina employee told the officer when he arrived that the owner of the boat was hiding a contractor on board. The employee told the officer that paint had damaged other boats in the marina, a claim the officer could not corroborate through visual inspection of nearby vessels and there also had not been any complaints of the sort submitted to law enforcement. The officer then spoke with the boat slip owner who said other boaters had painted in the marina and that he did not know of any ordinances prohibiting doing so. Indeed, the officer said this complaint would be civil in nature and gave the marina employee a case number in the event he wanted to take the matter to civil court.

Monday, Feb. 2

Looking for a free ride off Longboat? Start panhandling!

2:26 p.m., Bay Isles Parkway

Suspicious person: A man holding a sign asking for money on the corner of Gulf of Mexico Drive and Bay Isles Parkway was approached by police on a recent Monday afternoon. As the officer approached, a call came into dispatch reporting the panhandler. The officer spoke to the man who said he was a homeless veteran attempting to make some money and that he did not have an identification as he lost it years ago. After checking for warrants, police provided him a courtesy ride to Ken Thompson Park and closed the case.