June 13
Missing property
10:33 p.m.
Officer Miklos was dispatched to Broadway in reference to a report of a theft of a kayak and oar. Sarasota Sheriff’s Dispatch advised that the caller says it’s an ongoing issue. Furthermore, a time frame of approximately 9:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. was given. Upon arrival, Officer Miklos came into contact with the caller who stated that she found the kayak and oar tied off at Broadway. The caller advised she spoke to a group of people fishing who advised they did not touch the kayak. The caller was able to retrieve the items without incident. While speaking to the caller, she advised she was missing additional items that occurred on May 24. Th4e caller said two double sided oars and a paddleboard were missing. The caller said she was unable to confirm if the items were stolen, pushed into the water by someone, or if the items washed away. The caller believed the paddleboard was tied off far enough away from the water where the tide would not have affected the paddleboard. The caller said she did not wish to prosecute at this time and only wished to document the missing items. The caller advised that a lost property report was sufficient. The caller was unable to provide any serial numbers for the missing items. It should e noted that a newly installed camera appears to be pointed at the boat dock area. The caller was provided a business card with a case number. Case clear.
June 14
Citizen assist
10:21 a.m.
Officer Maple was dispatched to the 6400 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive. The call was a public service call. An employee at the Church called in the complaint of a black Ford F-250 was seen in the parking lot in an area of damage to the parking area. Pictures of the truck, the damage, and the license plate were taken by an employee and provided to the officer. The license plat was a Florida plate with the owner on Longboat Key. The complainant said to Officer Maple that the river was a woman. The woman matched the driver’s spouse. The woman resides at the same address as the driver and owner of the truck. Officer Maple spoke to the owner of the truck on his phone. The owner stated that his wife was out working with the turtles on the b4qch and got the truck stuck in the mud and gravel parking lot. The owner explained she was unable to put the truck in four wheel drive and reverse. She went over the curb and accelerated, causing four divots it eh parking lot. The owner stated he would be happy to apologize for his wife and fix the damage tot he parking lot. The observed damage is only superficial. Officer Maple spoke to the complainant ad asked him if he was happy with the resolution. The complainant agreed to the resolution. The owner will fix the parking lot Officer Maple determined there was no criminal intent. Officer Maple closed the case. Case clear.
Citizen assist
5:20 p.m.
Officer Troyer while on marine patrol, was flagged down by a good Samaritan informing the officer of a nearby yacht that lost their dinghy while underway. Officer Troyer spoke with the occupants of the yacht, whom informed the officer they were attempting to get their passengers whom fell overboard, but their dinghy was not functioning. The occupants asked Officer Troyer to assist with getting their passengers back, whom were on another boat as another good Samaritan took them on board due to the strong currents off of Jewfish Key. Officer Troyer assisted with picking the passengers up from the nearby other yacht, and transporting them back to the original yacht. Case clear.
Marine Rescue
12:20 p.m.
Officer Barrett while on patrol, observed a personal watercraft in distress at the Longboat Key Bridge. Upon approaching the personal watercraft, the operator advised that he was taking on water an could not start the PWC. Due to the strong current, the man was quickly swept under the bridge and drifting in an eastbound direction. The Personal Watercraft capsized and began to sink. Officer Barret gave the man a line and had him secure it to the bow of the watercraft. Officer Barrett then pulled him out of harm’s way to the shallow sand bar on the west side of Jewfish Key where he could stand and the PWC could only sink to a couple of feet of water. While dealing with the man and his sinking Watercraft, the strong current and shallow water. Officer Barrett entangled the anchor line of a vessel the owner was able to retrieve his anchor and tie it back to the remaining line without further incident. Case clear.
Boat
12:33 p.m.
Officer Maple was dispatched to the 3400 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive for a reckless boat call. Officer Maple arrived on scene and observed one aqua and white jet ski anchored approximately 50 yards off the beach with numerous personnel around. Officer Maple spoke to the complainant on the phone to confirm that was the jet ski in question. The caller said that the jet ski earlier had been operating north and southbound close to the beach at a high rate of speed. Officer Maple spoke to the jet ski owner who was from Venezuela. The caller stated he did not know the rules. Officer Maple explained the course of action to the complainant who was satisfied with actions by Longboat Key Police Department. Case clear.
Parking
8:09 p.m.
Officer Miklos was dispatched to Gulfside Road in reference to an illegally parked vehicle in a private empty lot. Upon arrival, Officer Miklos came into contact with the complainant who advised the lot is her friend’s lot who is out of town. The complainant advised this is an ongoing issue with vehicles parking in the lot and walking to the beach. Officer Miklos advised the complainant that the vehicle was on private property and the police could not remove or cite the vehicle. Officer Miklos advised the complainant that the homeowner could have the vehicle towed. The complainant advised she would like the vehicle moved, however, was more concerned with the groups trekking through the dunes with equipment like wagons and tents ruining the aesthetic of the dunes. Officer Miklos suggested that the complainant and the owner of the lot, rope off the driveway or put signs out preventing a future issue. Officer Miklos located a group fishing on the beach and advised them that their vehicle was parked in someone’s yard. The group advised they would move the vehicle without further incident. Case clear.
June 16
Found property
4:22 p.m.
Officer Mathis while on patrol in the 4000 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive, observed a red igloo cooler in the roadway. Officer Mathis retrieved the cooler from the roadway. While checking the contents, he located a black wallet containing a Florida Driver’s License, credit cards and cash. Officer Mathis then made contact with the driver, and he said he would come to the police department to retrieve his lost property. Case clear.
Flag
4:30 p.m.
Officer Ericsson while on patrol was dispatched to Sable Cove Place on criminal mischief. Upon arrival, Officer Ericsson contacted the complainant who said while he was out of town, he had a U.S. flag mounted to the front of his residence by a contractor. The flag was mounted into the stucco on the east side of his house at the top of the staircase. When the homeowner returned home, he noticed his flag on the ground below where it was mounted and the bracket holding the flag, laying on the front porch. The man believed the flag was torn down by someone and wanted to report the damage. Officer Ericsson observed the bracket and flag on the front porch of the residence. He observed the bracket to have three short screws still intact with three plastic anchors. All appeared to have been stripped out of the wall. There was minimal damage to the exterior wall where three perfectly cylindrical holes were observed to have held the bracket. The flag was made with a wood pole and heavy cloth. It appeared to me that the flag was not ripped from the wall by someone, but rather, stripped from the wall from the wind due to the weak anchors and short screws. Officer Ericsson advised the owner, and he agreed that the lack of proper bracing and the weight of the flag could have caused the flag bracket to dislodge. Officer Ericsson observed no damage to the flag itself or any other damage to the surrounding area. Case clear.
