September 8 through September 14, 2023

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

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CASES

Bay County

• Officers N. Basford and Boley were on patrol at St. Andrews Bay when they observed a vessel coming in without a registration. They stopped the vessel to conduct a boating safety inspection and check on the registration. During the inspection, the operator showed signs of impairment. Officer Boley conducted standardized field sobriety tasks and determined the operator was impaired. The operator provided breath samples. The results were 0.067. The operator stated he was also taking multiple medications. The operator was arrested for boating under the influence.
• Officer Boley was on patrol at St. Andrews State Park watching four individuals fishing on the seawall. Officer Boley conducted a resource inspection on the individuals and discovered four dead cowfish. One individual stated he caught the cowfish. The individual was given a citation for cowfish not landed alive, as they are a tropical ornamental marine life species. 
• Officers Boley and Coker were on patrol when they stopped a boat returning from fishing to conduct a fisheries inspection. Officer Coker discovered a greater amberjack on the vessel during closed season. One of the occupants stated they caught the fish. A citation was issued for possession of greater amberjack during closed season. 

Escambia County

• Officers Waters and Hahr responded to a complaint from the staff at Tarkiln Bayou State Park after a patron observed a subject picking protected pitcher plants. The patron advised the subject that picking the threatened plants was prohibited, but the subject responded she had permission and continued to pick them. The subject was found at her vehicle with the plants and issued a notice to appear for harvesting a threatened plant from public property without permission. 
• Officer Waters and Hahr were checking boats returning to the Navy Point boat ramp and located two boats in possession of undersized gray triggerfish. Both subjects responsible were charged with possession of undersized gray triggerfish. Later in the weekend, they located another boat with a four-person limit of gray triggerfish. All four of the fish were undersized, and the owner of the vessel was charged with possession of undersized gray triggerfish. 

Franklin County

• Officer Hartzog was conducting patrol in state waters of the Gulf of Mexico and observed a vessel returning from offshore with fishing gear. Officer Hartzog stopped the vessel to conduct a resource and boating safety inspection. During the inspection, the captain advised he was chartering the individuals on board, and they caught and possessed only grunts. Officer Hartzog proceeded to board the captain’s vessel to inspect their catch and discovered two undersized gray triggerfish in the fish box along with the grunts. The officer addressed the violation appropriately.
• Officers Hartzog and L. Mcleod were on patrol at East Bay and observed a vessel at anchor with several individuals on board fishing. The officers stopped the vessel to conduct a resource and boating safety inspection. During the inspection the individuals were observed to be in possession of several undersized black drum. The officers addressed the violation appropriately. 
• Officer Hartzog was conducting night patrol at East Bay and observed a vessel operating without navigational lights and displaying gear consistent with fishing. Officer Hartzog stopped the vessel to conduct a resource and boating safety inspection. During the inspection, Officer Hartzog observed the two recreational anglers to be in possession of freshwater game fish and the only fishing equipment they possessed on board was a cast net and gig. Officer Hartzog interviewed the two subjects and they admitted to catching the freshwater game fish in the cast net, which is an illegal method of take. The officer addressed the violation appropriately.
• Officer Hartzog was conducting night patrol at Apalachicola Bay and observed a vessel returning to the St. George Island boat ramp without proper navigation lights. Officer Hartzog stopped the vessel to conduct a resource and boating safety inspection. When approaching the vessel, Officer Hartzog identified himself as law enforcement and the captain of the vessel began discarding undersized flounder out the stern of the vessel. Officer Hartzog instructed the captain to stop discarding the fish and come to the front of the vessel. After further inspection, Officer Hartzog discovered more undersized flounder on board and the captain of the vessel was identified as a commercial angler who had previous violations for the same offenses. The officer addressed the violation appropriately.

Gulf County

• Officer Gerber responded along with Gulf County Sheriff’s Office to a shot fired. The complainant thought the individuals were possibly night hunting. Upon arrival to the area, Officer Gerber observed a vehicle drive from the public roadway onto a private lease. Contact was made with the individuals in the vehicle, and the officers found the driver’s license was suspended. The driver was issued a notice to appear citation for the violation. 

Santa Rosa County

• Officers Bower and Phillips were conducting resource inspections and located two subjects fishing from a local pier without valid saltwater fishing licenses. The officers conducted an inspection and located two flounder not in whole condition and additional undersized flounder. The flounder measured 10 inches in length. The legal size for flounder is 14 inches. A resource inspection was conducted on the second subject and two mangrove snapper filets were located at the bottom of the cooler, not in whole condition. Flounder and mangrove snapper are required to be landed in whole condition and possessing such fish not in whole condition in or on state waters or a public or private fishing pier is prohibited. Both subjects were cited appropriately for the violations. 

COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING

• Officers Bower and Phillips taught two hunter safety classes this month, educating approximately 20 students. The officers educated the class about hunting laws, rules, regulations; answered hunting related questions; and demonstrated how to measure deer antlers.

OFFSHORE PATROL

• Officers Cushing and Land were on patrol in the Gulf of Mexico. The officers observed a vessel with multiple individuals on board fishing and approached the vessel to conduct a fisheries inspection. As the officers got closer to the vessel it became apparent it was a charter trip. The customers were reeling up their lines, which were baited with vermillion snapper. The vermillion snapper appeared to be smaller than the legal-size limit of 10 inches. Officer Land instructed the customers to keep their lines in the vessel, but they discarded the small vermillion hooked to the lines before he boarded. While on board the vessel, Officer Land addressed the issue of the undersized vermillion snapper with the captain of the vessel. The captain claimed to have measured the fish before using them as bait. When Officer Land returned to the patrol vessel, Officer Cushing informed him he was able to retrieve one of the vermillion snappers. It was less than the legal-size limit of 10 inches. It is legal to use vermillion snapper as bait in state waters, but the fish must be of legal size and count towards the angler’s bag limit. Officer Land issued the captain of the vessel a citation for the violation. 
• While conducting patrol in federal waters south of Franklin County, Lieutenant Smith and Officers Hartzog and Nelson observed a charter fishing vessel with several individuals on board fishing and in possession of reef fish. The officers conducted a resource inspection and observed the captain of the vessel to be conducting charter fishing in federal waters without a Federal Gulf Charter Permit. The officers documented the violation and forwarded details of the violation to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 

CASES

Dixie County

• Officer Sheffield was on night patrol at a boat ramp in the town of Jena when he observed a vehicle approaching the ramp in a careless manner. The vehicle almost collided with a kiosk and was making abrupt movements. Officer Sheffield exited his vehicle and motioned for the vehicle to stop but had to move out of the way as the vehicle nearly ran into him. During the stop, Officer Sheffield observed multiple indicators of possible impairment. The operator performed standardized field sobriety tasks and was arrested for driving under the influence and taken to the Dixie County Jail where a breath sample over the legal limit for blood alcohol concentration was obtained.
• Officer Sheffield and Lieutenant Ward were on night patrol when they observed an airboat return to a boat ramp. A vessel safety and marine resource inspection was completed. The subject was found to be in possession of 81 mullet, which is 31 over the vessel limit. The subject was also in possession of an undersized black drum. Officer Sheffield issued a citation for the violation and a written warning for the black drum. Several other warnings were also issued for vessel safety and registration violations.

Levy County

• Officers Bell and Dean received a call about an individual keeping an undersized red drum at the Highway 40 boat ramp in Yankeetown.  When they arrived at the ramp, they found the vehicle matching the description that was provided. The officers contacted the owner of the vehicle who said they had caught a couple fish.  When asked where the fish were, he told the officers they were in his car.  A resource inspection revealed they were in possession of nine undersized red drum in a cooler. While interviewing the subject, he said everyone had caught fish. Further investigation revealed three individuals were responsible for harvesting the undersized red drum. Officer Dean issued the appropriate citations including possession of an undersized red drum, over the bag limit of red drum and no current fishing license.

CASES

Brevard County

• Officer Specialist Balgo observed an individual fishing along Haulover Canal. While conducting a resource inspection, the individual stated he had not caught any fish. Officer Balgo observed a stringer tied to the rocks near the individual. The stringer contained several fish attached including several undersized mangrove snapper. The individual was cited accordingly.
• Officer Specialist Balgo observed two individuals along State Road A1A with equipment commonly used to harvest saw palmetto berries. The individuals fled from him when he tried to contact them. After searching the area, Officer Balgo located the two subjects and two large bags of illegally harvested saw palmetto berries. The individuals had been cited several times for the same offense. The individuals were placed into custody and booked into the Brevard County Jail. 
• Officers Hedgepeth and Snyder were conducting boating safety patrols in the Banana River when they noticed a fishing vessel in the corner of an area. After brief observation, a resource inspection was conducted on the vessel. The officers found the subject to be in possession of two redfish during a closed season, six undersized mangrove snapper, one undersized black drum, and one undersized sheepshead. The individual was cited accordingly.
• Officer St. Martin was on foot patrol when he noticed a several individuals throwing cast nets. The individuals split into two different groups. Officer St. Martin conducted a resource inspection on each group. An individual from the first group tried running with the fish but Officer St. Martin was able to get the fish before they were discarded. Officer St. Martin apprehended three individuals from the group, however, three others got away. Officer Hopkins arrived on scene and apprehended the other subjects and they were arrested. Officers St. Martin and Hopkins finished the resource inspection, and it yielded multiple violations. The individuals were in possession of 12 undersized and out-of-season snook, two undersized redfish that were out of season, 17 undersized mangrove snapper, three undersized mutton snapper, eight undersized sheepshead, and one bonefish. All fish were harvested by cast net. Violations were cited accordingly.

Indian River County

• Officers St. Martin and Snyder were on foot patrol in when they noticed two individuals fishing with a cast net. The officers contacted the two individuals and conducted a resource inspection. An individual with a bucket of fish tried to hide it. A resource inspection of the bucket yielded one undersized snook and three undersized sheepshead. The violations were cited accordingly.

Orange County

• Officer Navarino received information from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office that an individual was in possession of an alligator she was keeping inside a bathtub. Upon arriving on scene, Officer Navarino located a juvenile alligator inside of the bathtub. Officer Navarino interviewed the individual and she informed him she had taken the juvenile alligator from a recent place of employment. The individual no longer worked at the location and did not have permission to take the alligator. The individual was cited accordingly, and the alligator was returned to its permitted owner. 
• While on night patrol, Officer Specialists Hallsten and Parrish and Officer Osborn, heard a gunshot on nearby private land. Air assets were directed to the area and witnessed four individuals trespassing on private land and shining lights capable of disclosing deer. Lieutenant Riley and Officer Hocker arrived on scene, but the subjects fled into the wood line. Lieutenant Mendelson, K-9 Officer Specialist Hadwin and K-9 Blue arrived to assist and tracked the fleeing subjects. The arrested subject was charged with armed trespass and resisting without violence. 
• While patrolling the William Beardall Tosohatchee Wildlife Management Area, an individual was found operating a vehicle with a license that had been expired for 41 months and had not paid the daily use fee. Violations were addressed accordingly. 

Polk County 

• Northeast Region officers Armstrong and Nall were assisting in the Southwest Region by  patrolling for night hunters at a wildlife management area. The officers came across a vehicle near the entrance to the area. They contacted the individuals and could see and smell the presence of marijuana. After a search of the vehicle, the officers discovered over three ounces of marijuana individually packaged, a digital scale, and a firearm. The owner of the vehicle was arrested and transported to the Polk County Jail. 

St. Johns County

• During a fisheries inspection at the Guana River Dam, Officer Self discovered a subject who had an undersized red drum. A citation was issued accordingly. 
• While checking anglers in Guana Dam State Park, Officer Specialist Thomas checked a subject that stated they hadn't caught any fish. After inspecting a nearby bucket, Officer Thomas located three red drum concealed underneath a cast net, two of which were undersized. The subject also had a suspended fishing license. Officer Thomas issued the subject citations for over the bag of red drum, possession of an undersized red drum, and fishing with a suspended fishing license.
• Officer Lemaster conducted a fisheries inspection at the Guana River Dam and discovered a subject who had an undersized red drum. A citation was issued accordingly. 

Putnam County

• Officer Specialists L. Dickson and D. Dickson responded to a call at a local public dock regarding a subject using a cast net to catch and keep gamefish. The officers contacted the subject and conducted a resource inspection, which revealed the subject used a cast net to catch and keep black bass. One subject was cited for taking gamefish by illegal method. 

Volusia County

• Officers Vanas and Arroyo observed two recreational saltwater anglers cast netting from shore. They observed the subjects cast net snook and then hide the fish. Upon conducting an inspection, the officers located two undersized snook. The investigation also revealed neither subject had a valid snook permit. The subjects were charged appropriately.
• Officer Quick responded to a complaint from a landowner about subjects trespassing and stealing horticulture products from his land. The land is posted as horticulture property with proper signage. Upon arrival, Officer Quick located the two trespassers who were also in possession of commercially exploited plant life. The subjects were charged appropriately.
• Lieutenant Edson was on night patrol in a local wildlife management area during the closed season when he observed a truck enter and display a bright light in a manner to reveal the presence of deer and other wildlife. Upon stopping the vehicle, Lieutenant Edson found the two occupants in possession of a loaded 12-guage shotgun, bow and arrow, along with other hunting equipment. Both subjects were charged appropriately. 

CASES

Charlotte County

• Officers Price and Adkins were on patrol during a wildlife management area archery hunt when they conducted a resource inspection on a hunt participant who had harvested a deer. When asked if the subject had logged and reported the deer, he said he didn’t know he needed to do that. During a conversation with the subject, the officers determined he was an avid hunter. He was issued an infraction for failing to log the deer as required by law. 

Lee County

• Officer Price was on land patrol when he observed a truck backed into the bushes on I-75. He approached the vehicle and located two subjects who admitted they were picking saw palmetto berries. Inside the vehicle were sacks with a small quantity of berries. When asked if they had the required permit to pick the berries, they said no. Both subjects were issued a misdemeanor for harvesting saw palmetto berries without a permit. 

Manatee County

• Officer Specialist Davidson and Officer Johnston were patrolling in Myakka City when they spotted an individual throwing a cast net into a retention pond. After observing the subject fish using only a cast net, Officer Johnston approached the individual and conducted a resource inspection. During the inspection, it was found the individual had caught 23 freshwater gamefish using only a cast net. The subject was issued a citation to appear in Manatee County Court for the violation. 

Pinellas County

• While on land patrol, Officers Sutton and Caldwell received a complaint regarding two individuals catching and keeping undersized redfish. The officers arrived on scene and contacted the two subjects matching the description. The two individuals advised the officers they didn’t catch any fish and were leaving. Officer Sutton conducted a fisheries inspection on a bucket one of the individuals was carrying and discovered eight undersized redfish hidden inside. Both individuals admitted to catching the redfish and were issued citations for harvesting undersized and over the bag limit of redfish. 
• While on land patrol, Officers Conrad and Sutton observed the fishing vessel return to a boat ramp. Officer Sutton contacted the individual and conducted a fisheries inspection. At the conclusion of the inspection, Officer Sutton located an out-of-season red grouper measuring 15 inches. Officer Sutton issued the operator of the vessel a citation and a warning for fisheries violations. 
• While on foot patrol, Officers Conrad and Sutton observed an individual fishing from underneath a bridge. Officer Sutton contacted the individual and conducted a fisheries inspection. At the conclusion of the inspection, Officer Sutton found the individual to be in possession of a 10-inch gag grouper. Officer Sutton issued the individual a citation for the fisheries violation. 
• While on land patrol, Lieutenant Bibeau observed two individuals return to a nearby boat ramp on a personal watercraft with spearguns in plain view. Lieutenant Bibeau contacted the individuals to conduct a fisheries inspection. The individuals admitted to having black sea bass onboard the vessel and allowed Lieutenant Bibeau to conduct an inspection. At the conclusion of the inspection, Lieutenant Bibeau found the individuals to be in possession of four undersized tripletails that had been illegally harvested with the use of a speargun. Lieutenant Bibeau issued the individuals a citation and a warning for fisheries violations.
• While on land patrol, Lieutenant Bibeau observed a large fishing vessel at a nearby boat ramp that was in the process of cleaning their catch. Lieutenant Bibeau contacted the operator of the vessel and determined it was a federally permitted reef fish vessel and the operator was conducting a for-hire fishing charter with four paying customers onboard. Lieutenant Bibeau found the operator of the vessel to be in possession of eight red snappers. Lieutenant Bibeau advised the operator the season for the harvest of red snapper is currently closed for federally permitted fishing vessels and issued the operator a federal citation for the fisheries violation.

CASES

Collier County

• Officers Creel and Rubenstein responded to a call regarding a black bear breaking into a residence in Copleland. Upon arrival, Officers saw a bear walking down the street before it exited the neighborhood via a wood line. Officers contacted the homeowner who showed them the window the bear had broken while trying to enter the residence. Officers documented the scene and observed evidence consistent with a bear. Officers contacted FWC’s bear biologist to assist with coordinating capture of the bear and remained at the residence and patrolled the neighborhood until the bear was captured.

FWC Division of Law Enforcement Regions