FWC Law Enforcement Weekly Report June 3 through June 9, 2016

FWC

Division of Law Enforcement

 

Weekly Report

June 3 through June 9, 2016

This report represents some events the FWC handled over the past week; however, it does not include all actions taken by the Division of Law Enforcement.

 

Patrol, Protect, Preserve

 

NORTHWEST REGION

 

CASES

 

BAY COUNTY

 

Officer Goodwin was patrolling the area of the Davis Beach Boat Ramp and observed a vessel approaching the boat ramp with several children riding on the bow with their legs hanging off into the water.  Officer Goodwin made contact with the vessel operator when he pulled the vessel up to the shore. While talking with the operator, Officer Goodwin noticed the operator was slurring his speech and had a strong odor of alcohol coming from his person. After field sobriety tasks were administered, the operator was arrested and taken to jail where he refused the breath alcohol test. The operator was charged with operating a vessel with normal faculties impaired, refusing to submit to breath test and careless operation of a vessel.

 

Officer Gore observed a fishing vessel returning to the Mexico Beach Boat Ramp. While conducting a resource inspection, he observed six gray triggerfish that appeared to be undersized. All of the fish measured under 14 inches. A citation was issued to the vessel captain for the violation.

 

GADSDEN COUNTY

 

Officer Bell received an anonymous complaint regarding a subject keeping a rattlesnake at home.  Officer Bell and Captive Wildlife Investigator Louque made contact with the individual at his residence.  The suspect was interviewed and confirmed he did possess an eastern diamondback rattlesnake.  The suspect was also found to possess a pygmy rattlesnake without the proper venomous reptile permits.  The suspect was issued citations and warnings for the violations and the snakes were seized.

 

OKALOOSA COUNTY

 

Lieutenant Hollinhead observed a large amount of garbage discarded along the roadway while patrolling around the Yellow River Wildlife Management Area (WMA). Names and addresses were obtained from the debris which established suspects. Two subjects were questioned which revealed involvement by one of the subjects. The subject cleaned up the debris after being questioned and charges for littering over 15 pounds will be filed through the State Attorney’s Office.

 

Officer Corbin was on land patrol conducting state fisheries inspections at Liza Jackson Park.  A concerned citizen spoke to Officer Corbin regarding a vessel that was pushed ashore at the park.  Officer Corbin observed the vessel was in a derelict condition, initiated a derelict vessel (DV) investigation and located the owner who was responsible for leaving the DV in state waters.  A recent storm pushed the DV closer to shore.  Upon completing the investigation, Officer Corbin issued the owner a notice to appear citation.

 

The 61^st Annual Billy Bowlegs Pirates Festival occurred on June 4 in Fort Walton Beach.  Part of the event is waterborne and located in the shallow waters of the Santa Rosa Sound/Intracoastal Waterway.  FWC officers from Bay, Escambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Monroe, Walton, and Washington counties participated, including FWC Aviation.  Four FWC members on the BUI task force traveled from South B Region to assist local officers with BUI enforcement. Approximately 500 to 600 vessels were present during the event.  An undetermined amount of people were present in boats and walking in the shallow water.  The following are statistics from law enforcement and first responders:  261 vessel stops; 903 citizen contacts; 14 BUI arrests; 39 boating citations issued; 24 written warnings issued; 1 citation issued for providing alcoholic beverage to an underage person; 13 fight interventions, 16 medical responses with 3 other medical transports for intoxication and 27 public assist responses.  No boating accidents occurred.

 

SANTA ROSA COUNTY

 

Throughout the week, Officer Lewis made 14 arrests in Blackwater River State Forest for possession of not more than 20 grams of cannabis, possession of drug paraphernalia and a felony warrant.  Officer Lewis also issued various citations and warnings for forestry violations including operating vehicles off the established roads, possessing alcoholic beverages where prohibited, and possessing glass containers in or around waterways.

 

Officer Hutchinson assisted Lieutenant Berryman after a fleeing driver of a stolen vehicle attempted to elude capture by speeding on the interstate before fleeing on foot.  He was spotted hiding in a nearby hotel and taken into custody.  A search of the car revealed crack cocaine and various drug paraphernalia.  The man stated that he swallowed a bag of heroin and was taken to a local hospital for medical attention.  He spent the next several days talking to various officers that maintained a watch over him.  He admitted to taking the vehicle from a friend to go and buy heroin.  He stated that he was shooting up during the pursuit and admitted to being heavily intoxicated and under the influence of drugs. After being medically cleared, the man was transported to jail where he was booked for possession of cocaine, fleeing and eluding, and grand theft.  Additional charges of DUI and reckless driving are pending.

 

 

NORTH CENTRAL REGION

 

CASES

 

SUWANNEE COUNTY

While on water patrol at the confluence of the Santa Fe and Suwannee rivers, Officer Pekerol observed a vessel enter the slow speed zone traveling at slow speed. Once the vessel reached the Suwannee River, the middle of the slow speed zone, the operator powered up and put the vessel on plane. Officer Pekerol stopped the vessel to address the violation and conduct a safety inspection. During the safety inspection, the operator of the vessel showed several signs of impairment. Officer Pekerol then requested the operator perform sobriety tasks to determine if his normal faculties were impaired and the operator agreed. After evaluating the operator’s performance on the sobriety tasks, it was determined he was under the influence to the point his normal faculties were impaired. The operator was then placed under arrest and transported to the Suwannee County Jail. Once at the jail, the operator refused a breath test. The operator was charged with operating a vessel while his normal faculties were impaired and refusal to submit to a breath test.

 

 

NORTHEAST REGION

 

CASES

 

BREVARD COUNTY

 

A detail was conducted at Sebastian Inlet State Park due to the expected heavy usage during the Memorial Day weekend.  During this four-day detail, officers encountered numerous violations.  Citations and warnings were issued for the following violations: undersized mangrove snapper, over slot-size redfish, stone crab taken out of season, unlawful speed in a state park, and consumption of alcohol in a state park. Additionally, two physical arrests were made, one for felony possession of a concealed firearm and one for BUI. Due to the high-visibility patrols, no vehicle burglaries occurred this year during the busy holiday weekend.

 

Lieutenant Lightsey assisted the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office and Cocoa Police Department in a joint agency effort to remove a suicidal woman from a sail boat on the Indian River.

 

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY

 

While on foot patrol at Sebastian Inlet State Park, Officer Kearney received information that a man was keeping an oversized redfish in the rocks near the south jetty.  After approaching and speaking to the supposed violator, Officer Kearney observed a green fishing line leading down into the rocks where the man was fishing.  Officer Kearney was able to locate a 38-inch redfish which the man stated he caught.  The legal slot limit size for redfish is 18-27 inches.  A citation was issued for the violation and a warning for no saltwater shoreline fishing license. 

 

BREVARD & INDIAN RIVER COUNTIES

 

A BUI detail was conducted for the Indian and St. John’s River for Memorial Day weekend.  Throughout the weekend, the detail successfully produced 220 written warnings and 46 uniform boating citations. Seven arrests were made for BUI violations. There was also one citation for an oversized redfish, and one citation for an undersized mutton snapper. Additionally, we assisted in a search and rescue at Spessard Holland Beach for a lost beach swimmer who was recovered and transported to the local hospital.

 

MARION COUNTY

 

Officer Sumpter responded to a call in central Marion County that an individual was using baited hooks in an attempt to catch alligators. Upon arrival, he observed two baited hooks suspended above the water. He located a suspect and during his investigation, the suspect admitted to using the hooks to catch alligators, and that he had already caught several. The subject was issued a notice to appear for the violation.

 

ORANGE COUNTY

 

Officers Tavano, McGuire and Haslett were on foot patrol at Wekiwa Springs State Park working a joint detail with Apopka Police Department when an undercover Apopka police officer pointed out two subjects to Officers Tavano and McGuire that were smoking a marijuana cigarette.  Officers Tavano and McGuire made contact with the subjects and one of them threw the marijuana cigarette into the woods and both subjects took off running down a dirt trail.  Officer Tavano ran after them on the trail and Officer McGuire ran to his truck.  Officer McGuire located the subjects in a wooded area along a roadway. Officers Tavano and Haslett went into the woods and found both subjects hiding under a log.  Both subjects were charged with resisting arrest without violence, obstruction and giving a false name.

 

SEMINOLE COUNTY

 

Officers Baine, Cogburn and Reserve Officer Nelson were on water patrol on the St. Johns River at CS Lee Park when they observed a vessel with loud, blaring music coming from it approaching the shoreline of CS Lee Park from the St. Johns River.   Once at shore, the male operator jumped off his vessel and began “twerking” (dancing) on his way to the parking lot.  Officer Cogburn made contact with him and noticed signs of impairment.  She had him perform field sobriety tasks and he was placed under arrest for BUI.  He later refused to submit to a breath test.

 

VOLUSIA COUNTY

 

Officer Meurlot stopped a recreational boat with an adult male operator in the New Smyrna Beach area of the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW).  After completing the check of the vessel’s required safety equipment, field sobriety exercises were administered. The vessel operator was subsequently arrested for BUI.  He was transported and booked into the Volusia County Jail. 

 

Officers Krynicki and Ward were performing dockside federal fisheries inspections at the Dunlawton Boat Ramp when they observed a vessel violate the manatee zone as it approached the dock. The officers made contact with the operator and detected signs of impairment.  After administering seated filed sobriety exercises, the officers determined the operator was impaired. He was arrested and booked into the Volusia County Branch Jail for BUI. 

 

Officers Edson and McKee were on airboat patrol on Lake George when they stopped a vessel for violating a manatee zone.  During the stop, Officer Edson noticed signs of impairment from the operator.  After administering seated field sobriety exercises, Officer Edson determined the operator was impaired and arrested him for BUI.

 

Officer West was on land patrol and observed an adult male driver swerve into his travel lane almost striking his marked patrol truck.  He subsequently pulled him over for his careless operation violation.  The operator did not have a valid driver’s license and is a habitual traffic offender. He was subsequently arrested for DUI and the felony license violation.  He was booked into the Volusia County Jail.

 

Officer Malicoat was on water patrol in the Halifax River in the New Smyrna Beach area when she stopped a vessel operator for violation of a boating restricted speed zone. After performing field sobriety exercises, the adult male was arrested for BUI.

 

The FWC’s federal partner, NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement, issued two separate summary settlement violations for cases documented by FWC’s offshore patrol vessel, Seahawk on a recent patrol.  During that patrol, the Seahawk’s boarding crew, consisting of Officers Bohne and Lejarzar, conducted two separate boardings in federal waters offshore of Brevard County where federal violations were documented.  On one boarding, the captain and crew of a recreational fishing vessel were using illegal gear and had harvested five red snapper.  The fine assessed against that vessel was $625.  The other vessel was found to be in possession of two red snapper and fined $300.  Possession of red snapper is strictly prohibited in federal waters.

 

During a patrol earlier this month, the Seahawk’s boarding team, consisting of Officers Bohne and Luce, conducted a fisheries inspection on a vessel approximately 21 miles east of Port Canaveral.  During the resource inspection, the officers located 18 red snapper possessed in violation of federal law.  The officers filed the case with NOAA’s law enforcement division and recently received a $950 summary settlement.

 

NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement issued a $375 summary settlement for a violation documented by FWC’s offshore patrol vessel, Osprey, on a recent patrol.  Officer McDonough and the Osprey’s boarding crew conducted a fisheries inspection where the vessel’s captain presented two fish, claiming that was his entire catch.  A subsequent search of coolers revealed two separate bags of fresh fish fillets, hidden in two separate coolers, underneath the ice, drinks and food, which were stacked on top of the fillets in an effort to conceal their presence.  The federal violation was for possessing fish that were not maintained in whole condition.

 

COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING

 

OSCEOLA COUNTY

                            

Lieutenant Trusley, Officers Wigley and Officer Scrambling participated in a public outreach event with the Osceola Regional Medical Center Pediatric Center. Officer Wigley brought the wildlife trailer and two live alligators, and Officer Scrambling brought the air boat and some deer and coyote hides to educate the public. They were able to answer numerous questions from children as well as adults about hunting, fishing, what FWC does as a whole and about wildlife in general. The Osceola Regional Medical Center was very appreciative and would like to have us there again.

 

 

SOUTHWEST REGION

 

CASES

 

CHARLOTTE COUNTY

 

Officer Sehl conducted an investigation for several weeks after receiving a complaint about some people destroying Gopher Tortoise burrows. Officer Sehl initially responded to the property and observed several Gopher Tortoise burrows on a piece of property which was recently sold. She noticed the burrows had debris inside the burrows and sticks set up to obstruct the burrows to prevent the turtles from entering or leaving the burrows. She removed the debris and documented he findings. A couple of days later, she returned to the property to find the burrows were obstructed again and that it appeared to have been sprayed with chemicals. She worked with investigators to set up a camera and monitor the burrows. She was able to capture images of a suspect destroying the burrows by shoving debris into the burrows. She also captured an image of the suspect driving over one of the burrows which completely collapsed the burrow. Officer Sehl's persistence and hard work paid off and she was able to gather enough evidence to charge the suspect with two counts of destruction of the Gopher Tortoise burrows.

 

FWC Investigator Cooke and K-9 Officer Stasko were on routine water patrol in Englewood/Placida area for the holiday weekend. They observed three subjects onboard a vessel sitting very low in the water. The officers made contact with the vessel to see if everything was okay. Once alongside the vessel, they observed 3-4 inches of standing water inside. The subjects on board stated they had been at a sandbar all day and did not know where the water came from. During the conversation and throughout a boating safety inspection, the operator showed several signs of impairment. The operator refused to perform any field sobriety tasks and was eventually arrested for suspicion of BUI. The operator has previously been charged with 3 BUI/DUIs and is currently on felony probation for another FWC violation.

 

FWC Lieutenant Frantz and Officers Cohl, Cooke, Goggin, Stasko, Birchfield and Morrison participated in a joint Manatee Zone Enforcement detail with US Fish and Wildlife Agents during the holiday weekend.   The officers patrolled north Charlotte County and observed violations by both air and sea. During the three-day weekend, approximately 50 citations and 75 warnings were issued by both agencies.

 

Along with the Manatee Zone Enforcement detail, Charlotte County officers also issued approximately 8 citations and 25 warnings for boating safety and licensing violations. They also responded to multiple fight/disturbance calls on the water throughout the weekend.

 

HARDEE COUNTY

 

Officers responded to a call of an alligator bite involving injury.  A report was taken and the Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program (SNAP) was contacted.

 

Lieutenant Brooks and Polk County Deputy Sheriff Sergeant Wright responded to a trespass complaint.  Lieutenant Brooks and Sergeant Wright located five subjects that were trespassing on Mosaic Mine property. This section of mine property had several burglaries and criminal mischief complaints during the week. All five subjects were arrested for trespassing and one subject also was charged with possession of cannabis and drug paraphernalia.

 

HIGHLANDS COUNTY

 

Lieutenant Brooks was finishing water patrol on Lake June when he was told of a fight at the boat ramp. When he responded to the area, he found a man and woman in a dispute, determined that a mutual battery had occurred and arrested both subjects for battery, public intoxication and disorderly conduct.

 

Lieutenant Fugate responded to a gopher tortoise complaint. The Sebring Police Department also responded. During their investigation, they found that there was a gopher tortoise inside a residence. After further investigation, Lieutenant Fugate received a confession from one of the residents stating he had purchased the gopher tortoise and was reselling it to a friend. The gopher tortoise was returned to the wild unharmed in the area that it had been taken from, and appropriate citations were issued.

 

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY

 

FWC Officers Lehman and Baker responded to the report of a hit-and-run vessel accident at the Apollo Beach Marina. A vessel leaving the marina overrode a sailboat secured at the dock and damaged the bow and bow pulpit of the sailboat. The suspect vessel left the area and was located with the assistance of Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Deputies. The investigation is still ongoing.

 

LEE COUNTY

 

Officers McColgin and Thompson were conducting covert patrol at Punta Rassa Boat Ramp watching several subjects wade fishing off the beach near the Sanibel billboards. Officer McColgin observed a recreational fishing vessel returning to the boat ramp and advised Officer Thompson. Officer Thompson made contact with the captain of the vessel and identified himself as an FWC officer. Officer Thompson asked the captain if he had any fish on board the vessel and the captain replied "Yes.” During an inspection of the fish, Officer Thompson observed 9 spotted seatrout, 2 blacktip sharks and several catfish on board. Further inspection revealed 6 of the seatrout were undersized. Officer Thompson issued the captain a notice to appear for the violations of possessing undersized seatrout.

 

K-9 Officer Collazo was patrolling the panther zone along Corkscrew and Alice Roads when he observed a blue Mazda sedan traveling at a high rate of speed. Officer Collazo visually estimated the vehicle to be traveling around 95 mph and it was confirmed with the use of radar at 94 mph. A vehicle stop was conducted and the driver was issued a traffic citation with a mandatory court appearance for exceeding the speed limit by more than 30 mph.

 

Officers Fogle and Wilkenson are investigating a boating accident that occurred over the weekend in Cape Coral. Two people were fishing in a small boat during the evening hours when a flats-style boat speeding in a slow speed zone hit the small boat, ejecting the passengers. The suspect boat fled the scene and failed to provide any assistance. Officer Wilkenson and K-9 Officer Collazo located the suspect's vessel that had damage consistent from the accident. The boating accident is still under investigation.

 

MANATEE COUNTY

 

Officer Buckson was conducting fishery inspections on the south Skyway. He observed a subject with a cooler and a cast net and inspected his catch which revealed one 18-inch snook. Officer Buckson cited the subject for taking snook during a closed season and issued several warnings for taking snook by illegal method, possession of undersized snook, no saltwater fishing license and no snook permit.

 

PASCO COUNTY

 

For several days, multiple FWC officers assisted the USCG with a search for a missing individual. The USCG received information that the individual had gone missing from a 30-foot sailing vessel. The vessel was located approximately 25 miles west of Hudson when the person was reported missing. At this time, the search continues and the investigation is being conducted by the FWC and the USCG.

 

Officer Williams was on water patrol when he observed a vessel that had fishing equipment and bait in plain view. Officer Williams initiated a stop of the vessel to conduct a resource inspection. During the inspection, he located two undersized gag grouper and nineteen American red snapper. Officer Williams addressed the violations for possession of undersized grouper, and over the bag limit of snapper. He issued several warnings and citations, and the fish were seized as evidence.

 

While several miles offshore, Officers Balfour, Cocke and Gaudion performed a resource inspection of a vessel that was headed to land. Officer Balfour located a greater amberjack on the vessel, issued the angler a citation for harvest out of season and the fish was seized as evidence.

 

PINELLAS COUNTY

 

FWC officers, with the assistance of the USCG and St. Petersburg Police Department, responded to a boating accident in the area of Bayboro Harbor. Two vessels collided near the mouth of the harbor resulting in one of the vessels continuing to travel into two seawalls at the USCG station before coming to rest in the middle of the harbor. The vessel collision resulted in two injured persons and one fatal injury.

 

Lieutenant Martin and Officers Freemon and Smith responded to Bunses Pass to attempt to locate a vessel involved in a possible vessel crash. A camper at Ft. Desoto observed a vessel’s running lights traveling on plain in the pass. The witness heard a loud crash and the vessel suddenly stopped. The vessel then turned its running lights off and was not seen again. Upon inspection of the area, a shallow-water navigational aid was knocked over in the pass. After a thorough search of the area, the vessel was not located.

 

FWC officers responded to a fatal boating accident that occurred in Bayboro Harbor in St. Petersburg. The investigation is ongoing.

 

FWC officers responded to a boating accident involving two PWC’s with two people being injured. The investigation is ongoing.

 

FWC officers responded to a call of a boating accident in the area of Egmont Key. No injuries were reported.

 

POLK COUNTY

 

Officers responded to a call of an airboat accident involving injury in Lake Wales.

 

COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING

 

While patrolling Hillsborough River State Park, Captain lsambert, Lieutenant Mack and Investigator Hough were notified of woman, who was 7 months pregnant, collapsing next to the gift shop. Lieutenant Mack stayed with the victim while Captain lsambert and Investigator Hough guided EMS into the park. The victim was transported to Tampa General Hospital.

 

DIRECTED CONSERVATION PATROLS

 

PINELLAS COUNTY

 

FWC personnel participated in a multi-agency detail developed by the USCG. The surge operation coordinated efforts of law enforcement members from the USCG, FWC, Pinellas and Pasco County Sheriff’s Offices, and Clearwater Police Department. The detail focused on enforcing federal regulations regarding Operators of Uninspected Passenger Vessels (OUPV) licenses, or charter captain's licenses. The OUPV violations put passengers at risk, increasing the risk of casualty at sea, and take business away from properly licensed captains. Lieutenant Wells, Officers Burks, Smith and Ferguson manned two FWC vessels to participate in the detail. FWC participation resulted in the following:

 

Vessels stopped:                  18

Users checked:                    75

Medical emergencies:         1

Warnings:                              12

Federal cases:                      1

 

Joint enforcement efforts resulted in many more warnings and multiple boating safety citations, including one terminated voyage. FWC personnel used a marked agency vessel to attend the burial-at-sea of an important USCG Auxiliary member. The law enforcement turnout was greatly appreciated. This surge operation fostered communication and teamwork throughout all levels of boating law enforcement entities in Pinellas and Pasco counties and will facilitate future operations. The federal regulations training gave all attendees new tools in dealing with federally licensed operators.

 

 

SOUTH REGION A

 

CASES

 

BROWARD COUNTY

 

Officer Vacin, Investigator Teems and Lieutenants Harp and Laubenberger responded to USCG Station Ft. Lauderdale for a possible boating accident. The Sunny Isles Police Department and Ft. Lauderdale Fire Rescue had escorted a vessel from offshore of Hollywood. An individual on board had died from a medical emergency. This was not a boating accident. Investigator Teems completed an incident report and the Hollywood Police Department is conducting an unattended death investigation.

 

Investigator Warne and Officer Gamage were on patrol in Dania Beach. Officer Gamage came in contact with an individual who was found to have an extraditable warrant out of Sumter County. With this information, Officer Gamage placed the individual under arrest and transported him to the Broward County Jail.

 

Officers Gamage and Coker assisted the Broward Sheriff’s Office in escorting a U.S. Naval vessel into Port Everglades. They assisted in temporarily closing the ICW to enable the vessel to safely and securely maneuver into its designated dock inside the Port.

 

GLADES COUNTY

 

Officers Nasworth and Alford responded to a boating accident involving a vessel and an unknown submerged object in the Caloosahatchee River.  While there were no injuries to the operator or occupant, the entire outboard motor had fallen off the transom and into the water.  The engine sat on the bottom of the river still connected to the fuel lines and wiring harness.  Since the motor was in waist-high water, the two officers waded into the water and, with the assistance of a volunteer firefighter on scene, were able to put the 125 horse power outboard motor on the deck of the vessel.  Due to high traffic from large vessels, frequent wakes, and inclement weather, the officers assisted the vessel to the nearest marina with a boat ramp.  It was secured for the owner to recover at his earliest convenience. 

 

MARTIN COUNTY

 

Lieutenant Russo, Officers Rogers and Carroll assisted a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Officer with executing a federal arrest warrant. The subject was wanted for assault on a federal employee in Martin County. The officers met the subject at Jupiter Lighthouse Park, placed the subject under arrest and transported them to the Palm Beach County Jail.

 

PALM BEACH COUNTY

 

Officers Toby and Bodden observed an individual fishing on the Lake Okeechobee Levee and conducted a fisheries inspection.  The individual was in possession of five undersized Black Crappie and one undersized Black Bass.  The individual was issued a misdemeanor citation for possession of the undersized Black Crappie and a written warning for the possession of the undersized Black Bass.

 

Officer Cobo responded to a complaint in reference to a subject who had a large soft shell turtle in the back of his pick-up truck. Officer Cobo made contact with the subject and advised him that it was illegal to possess due to it being closed season (May-July). The subject stated he was going to take it home with him and release it. A large hole had been pierced in the back of the turtle’s shell and a nylon rope tied through it to keep it restrained in the truck. Officer Cobo issued the subject a misdemeanor citation for possession during closed season and a warning for cruelty to animals. The turtle was released alive.

 

St. LUCIE COUNTY

 

Officer Shermetaro targeted, on two separate nights, the illegal harvest of snook during the closed season. It is currently closed June, July and August of each year. During one stop at a local boat ramp, Officer Shermetaro conducted a resource inspection on a subject on a vessel returning to land. The inspection revealed a snook in a cooler. On another night, Officer Shermetaro observed several subjects fishing with a cast net at a popular fishing spot. An inspection was conducted and one subject was found to have harvested some fish. A closer look determined the subject had used a cast net, which is an illegal method to harvest snook. Two snook were located along with two tarpon and one barracuda. Both subjects were cited for their respective violations.  

 

RESCUES

 

BROWARD COUNTY

 

Officer Brock observed a vessel enter the Hillsboro Inlet at a fast speed. He made contact with the vessel and they relayed they had a child on board that was unconscious. Officer Brock called and got Broward Fire Rescue on scene quickly. The child gained consciousness and was transported by ambulance with her parents for observation. This was not a boating accident, but a medical emergency.

 

GLADES COUNTY

 

Officers Bodden and Toby received a call for assistance.  A 47-foot vessel was identified as sinking and there was no contact available for the individuals on board.  The officers responded and were able to locate the vessel that had hit rocks on the Lake Okeechobee Levee and was disabled and taking on water.  The two individuals on board were not injured.  Officers Bodden and Toby coordinated with local salvage teams to respond to the scene to secure and transport the damaged vessel.  They transported the two individuals to the local marina and completed a boating accident investigation.

 

MAJOR WILDLIFE ASSISTANCE

 

Officer Newman responded to a call in Pahokee for an alligator that was found by a Palm Beach Sheriff’s Deputy. The 4-foot alligator was found with its mouth bound shut in a Pahokee neighborhood. Officer Newman cut the 3-foot bungie cord that was wrapped tightly off of the alligator, and it was released into Lake Okeechobee.

 

COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING

 

MARTIN COUNTY

 

The Presidential visit to South Florida sparked a protest to bring awareness to Lake Okeechobee discharges. Officers Aswall, Irwin and Miano teamed up with the Martin County Sheriff’s Office to provide law enforcement presence surrounding the protest. The protest was peaceful and brought a crowd of more than 100 people.

 

PALM BEACH COUNTY

 

Officers Schroer, Webb and Trawinski, along with Lieutenant Morrison, provided assistance to the Delray Beach Police Department and Parks Department by providing boating law enforcement assets to a large gathering of PWC owners at the Lake Ida Park. A previous event had quickly grown to beyond the capacity of the park resulting in congestion and dangerous conditions both on land and in the water. City officials learned of this event in advance and created a plan to manage the event safely. The FWC officers patrolled the lake by boat and walked the shoreline interacting with hundreds of PWC riders, generating compliance by educating the operators about the conditions on the lake. As a result, the event did not experience a single boating-related incident.

 

 

SOUTH REGION B

 

CASES

 

COLLIER COUNTY

While on state water patrol, Officer Osorio-Borja encountered a vessel with two subjects who were fishing.  The Officer asked the subjects how their fishing was going and the subjects indicated that they had caught snowy grouper.  The Officer proceeded to conduct a fisheries inspection on the fish and determined that they were red grouper, not snowy grouper.  One of the subjects admitted to catching the fish and received a resource citation for having two undersized red grouper (9 and 13 inches).  Officer Osorio-Borja was able to educate the subjects on identifying the difference between the two species.

 

While on patrol on Marco Island, Officer Reith observed several individuals fishing from a dock at a condominium complex.  From a concealed location, Officer Reith observed one of the individuals catch an undersized snook and lay it on the dock.  After approximately 10 minutes, the individual then grabbed a larger rod and reel and hooked the snook through the back as if to use it for bait.  Officer Reith then identified himself to the individuals and asked the one who kept the snook what he was using for bait on the shark rod, and he replied, “A lady fish.”  A closer inspection revealed that the individual had been using a 20-inch snook as bait.  The subject was cited accordingly.

 

MONROE COUNTY

 

Officer Trueblood was on road patrol in the vicinity of MM 100, Key Largo. An SUV with no license plate passed the officer as he drove northbound. Officer Trueblood pulled over the vehicle to investigate the possibility of vehicle theft. When the officer approached the vehicle to ask for the appropriate paperwork from the driver, the smell of marijuana was extremely apparent. Through further questioning of the driver, investigation and a vehicle search, more than 7 grams of marijuana was found. The driver was issued a notice to appear citation and was released on scene.

 

Officer Trueblood and Investigator Daniels were on water patrol in the vicinity of Blackwater Sound, Key Largo. Investigator Daniels was given a tip about people possibly spearfishing in the Marvin D. Adams “The Cut” waterway in Key Largo. The officers proceeded to the Cut and observed a man snorkeling in the water without a dive flag. The man stood in the water as the officers talked to the man about snorkeling without a dive flag. As the man exited the water, he left a spear gun underneath where he was standing. He was instructed to retrieve the spear gun and give it to the officers. Officer Trueblood disembarked the patrol vessel to the area where the man’s family was barbequing. Officer Trueblood conducted a fisheries inspection on site and found 2 undersized, out of season, and speared snook. The man was issued 5 misdemeanors and 2 infraction citations for the violation and the spear gun was seized as evidence.

 

Officers Trueblood and Wilkins were on patrol in the vicinity of Whale Harbor Channel, Islamorada. As the officers were patrolling, an individual reported his blue kayak had been stolen and was heading into shore. The officers chased down the kayak and confronted the man paddling to shore. They determined that the kayak did not belong to the person paddling it and the operator was not given permission to use it. Multiple items were also in the kayak including an I-Phone 6. The subject who took the kayak was arrested for Grand and Petit Theft and booked into the Plantation Key Jail.

 

Officer Hein was on land patrol in the Islamorada area when he noticed several individuals actively fishing. Officer Hein conducted a resource inspection and later found the individuals in possession of an oversized deceased parrotfish and they were also cutting up a small yellowtail snapper for bait. One individual admitted to catching the parrotfish and was cited for possession of oversized parrotfish and failure to land marine life in good condition. Both individuals were cited for cutting up the undersized yellowtail snapper and using it as bait.

 

Officer Hein was on land patrol in the Islamorada area when he noticed an individual fishing off of a small bridge. Officer Hein began walking toward the individual to conduct a resource inspection. The individual noticed Officer Hein, stepped back from fishing, bent down and picked up a fish and tossed it over the bridge. He looked at Officer Hein and again tossed another fish over the side of the bridge. When Officer Hein finally reached the individual, he explained he did not want to get in trouble. At the conclusion of the resource inspection, the individual was found to still be in possession of undersized yellowtail snapper. The individual was cited for interference with an FWC officer, possession of undersized yellowtail snapper, and received an infraction for not having a valid non-resident saltwater fishing license.

 

Officers Baumgartner and Hein were on water patrol in the Islamorada area when they conducted a boating safety inspection on a vessel leaving a sandbar. At the conclusion of the boating safety inspection, the occupants were all under the age of 21 and were found to be in possession of alcohol. The captain of the vessel was cited accordingly.

 

Officer Hein was on water patrol in the Islamorada area when he noticed a PWC operating recklessly by throwing occupants off the PWC and flipping the PWC, again dumping all of the occupants. Officer Hein conducted a boating safety inspection and believed the operator to be impaired. While attempting to conduct a BUI investigation, another occupant on board the PWC became irate and belligerent. Despite many warnings from Officer Hein, the occupant insisted on hindering Officer Hein’s investigation and was subsequently arrested for disorderly intoxication and resisting arrest without violence. After completing the paperwork, Officer Hein requested the irate individual to sign the citation which he refused to do. He was subsequently charged for refusal to sign a resource citation.

 

Lieutenant Haney and Officer Hein were on water patrol when they conducted a boating safety inspection on a vessel near Tavernier. During the inspection, the officers detected a very strong odor of marijuana emanating from the vessel. At the conclusion of the boating safety inspection, 2 individuals admitted to possessing the marijuana and the paraphernalia. The individuals were cited for possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of marijuana less than 20 grams.

 

Over Memorial Day weekend and targeting impaired operators, Lieutenant Haney and Officer Hein made 6 BUI arrests to ensure the safety and well-being of recreational boaters.

 

RESCUES

 

MONROE COUNTY

 

Officers Trueblood and Wilkins responded to a grounding of a 41-foot vessel ocean side of Long Key. The vessel was hard aground with 3 men, 3 women and 2 children onboard. Due to the tides in the area, the vessel would be hard aground for at least 12 hours overnight. Due to the concern for the safety of persons on board, Officer Wilkins was able to successfully navigate his patrol vessel to the grounded vessel and remove the women and children from the vessel. The 3 men on board stated they would wait until the next best high tide to attempt to remove the vessel. Officer Wilkins transported the woman and children back to their residence on Long Key.

 

Lieutenant Lyne responded to two separate search and rescue calls near the Channel 5 Bridge on Lower Matecumbe Key.  The first case was a man who jumped off the bridge to save a bird that was struggling in the water. The man was caught off guard by the swift current, and he was swept away from shore in the bridge currents and was able cling to a piling.  Lieutenant Lyne located the man and got him safely in the patrol boat and back to shore.  The second search and rescue was for a small vessel that was reported to be off Caloosa Cove Marina with 5 people on board. The USCG and Lieutenant Lyne located the swamped vessel and all occupants were uninjured.  The vessel was dewatered and towed in by commercial salvage.

 

DIRECTED CONSERVATION PATROLS

 

MONROE COUNTY

 

Officer Mattson put together a month-long BUI and underage drinking detail titled “Operation Bar Hop.” The detail began April 23 and ended on May 30. Officers Hein, Schroth, Trueblood and Wilkins participated in Officer Mattson’s detail. The detail produced 15 arrests for BUI and 2 citations for possession of alcohol by individuals under 21 years of age.

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