FWC Law Enforcement Weekly Report 11/15 - 11/21/2013

FWC

Division of Law Enforcement

 

Weekly Report

November 15-November 21, 2013

 

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

 

OKALOOSA COUNTY

 

Officer Molnar concluded a lengthy investigation regarding the theft of a $250,000 motor yacht. The suspect was an employee of the vessel owner, who lived out of state. On the day of the theft, the suspect along with multiple other occupants took the vessel out to a local party spot known as Crab Island in Destin. On the way back to the marina, the suspect grounded the vessel causing approximately $10,000 in damages and then attempted to conceal the incident from the owner. When the owner became aware of the incident, he notified FWC for an investigation. After interviewing multiple witnesses and collecting evidence, Officer Molnar presented the case to the Okaloosa County State Attorney. An arrest warrant was obtained for felony grand theft and the suspect was arrested a few days later by the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office. The suspect was also issued a boating citation for failure to maintain a proper lookout in regards to the boating accident.

 

Officers Rockwell and Pineda conducted an investigation into the illegal killing of a fawn deer.  They received information that included a photograph of a man and woman posing with a spotted fawn.  The photograph was accompanied with comments that included one of the suspects stating that he didn’t hunt with a gun, but with his truck.  Two suspects and a witness were identified and interviewed.  Initially, both suspects stated that they had accidentally killed the fawn in a vehicle collision.  However, it became apparent that they were not providing the full account of what had happened.  After completing the interviews, the officers determined that the driver of the vehicle lost control of his truck and struck a pine tree, damaging his front end and quarter panel.  He was upset about hitting the tree and decided that if he could hit a deer, he could blame the damage on the deer.  The suspects saw several deer shortly thereafter and the driver intentionally ran over one of them, a spotted fawn.  The other suspect helped skin and butcher the deer for the meat.  Warrants were obtained for both suspects.  The driver was charged with taking or killing a fawn deer.  Both suspects were charged with possession of an illegally taken fawn deer.

 

BAY COUNTY

 

Officer Moore responded to a complaint of two subjects harvesting undersized Spanish mackerel on the city pier.  Officer Moore found a man and his wife in possession of 46 Spanish mackerel, 34 of which were undersized.  A citation was issued to the husband for size and bag limit violations and written warnings were given to the wife.

 

Officer Moore received several guilty verdicts from a jury trial that stemmed from a boating accident in 2012.  The case was a complicated one that involved seizing and analyzing data from one of the vessels’ GPS systems to confirm witness statements and evidence.  The investigation resulted in Officer Moore charging the operator with three counts of aggravated battery, three counts of aggravated assault, one count of petit theft, and one count of violation of navigational rules resulting in a boating accident.  After the weeklong trial, the jury returned felony and misdemeanor guilty verdicts.

 

  

NORTH CENTRAL REGION

 

BAKER COUNTY

 

Baker County Officers had a busy weekend in the Osceola and John Bethea State Forests. A Baker County resident was caught trying to slip out a short horn buck two hours after dark. He said he measured the rack at four and three-quarters inches, but officers produced a tape and found the spike to be not quite three and one-half inches. The deer was seized as evidence. Several citations were issued for possession of alcoholic beverages in the John Bethea State Forest. Two men were cited for running deer with dogs in the still-hunt area east of Eddy Grade. Four hunters were cited for operating vehicles on unnumbered trails; this illegal action creates damage to environmentally sensitive lands of the forest.

 

DUVAL COUNTY

 

Investigator Izsak and Duty Officer Bridgeman were on water patrol in the Mayport area when Investigator Izsak conducted a fisheries inspection of a vessel coming in from the Mayport Jetties. Upon boarding the vessel, Investigator Izsak observed that the operator acted as if he was in a hurry. He kept showing a clear plastic bucket that contained toad fish. Investigator Izsak asked the operator to open the back hatch but he quickly opened and closed it saying that nothing was in the compartment. A further inquiry revealed a small cooler in the back hatch. When asked what was in the cooler, the operator responded “nothing.” Investigator Izsak asked if she could take a look in the cooler and found four undersized black sea bass. Investigator Izsak issued one citation to the subject for the possession of undersized black sea bass. Warnings were issued for the remaining three undersized sea bass, for no registration on board and improper display of registration numbers.

 

Officer Holleman was honored as the first recipient of the “Hometown Hero Award” presented at the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation Jacksonville Area Dedication event. He received the award for actions he quickly took to preserve life and property in which four people were engaged in an altercation with two others. The individuals were armed with everything from sticks to chainsaws. Officer Holleman was able to control the situation and secure two suspects that were later arrested for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

 

HAMILTON COUNTY

 

Officers Nichols, with assistance from Officer Mobley, checked a hunter while he was illegally hunting along the CSX railroad tracks in Hamilton County. While back at the man’s truck, it was learned that he did not have a hunting license either. Officer Nichols noticed relatively fresh blood and hair in the bed of the man’s truck. Miranda warnings were given to the man and he confessed to killing a doe deer out of season. The man will have charges direct filed with the State Attorney’s Office for taking antlerless deer during closed season. The deer meat was seized as evidence. An infraction citation was issued for no hunting license, written warnings were issued for trespass on CSX railroad tracks, road hunting and no deer permit.

 

Officer Nichols was on patrol near the CSX railroad and water management property when he encountered a hunter in a stand on the CSX railroad right-of-way. Upon further inspection, Officer Nichols found that the man did not have a hunting license and had cut a shooting lane into water management property. He then placed corn onto the water management property for the purpose of hunting deer. Officer Nichols issued citations for placing bait/grain on water management property and hunting on water management property, a citation for no hunting license, a written warning for no deer permit and hunting on the railroad right-of-way.

 

LEVY COUNTY

 

Officer Johnston received a call from Officer Wiggins pertaining to two individuals harvesting oysters in a closed area. Officer Wiggins was keeping visual surveillance on the individuals while they harvested in the closed area. At approximately 4:35 p.m., Officer Wiggins directed Officer Johnston to intercept the two subjects at the Cedar Key Airport Bridge where they were currently landing the illegally harvested product. Officer Johnston stopped the subjects and they admitted to harvesting in a closed area. The appropriate citations were issued for the violation and the product was seized as evidence.

 

Officer Jenkins was on patrol in Goethe WMA when he stopped to check a vehicle on the side of an access road in the WMA. While gathering information on the vehicle and surveilling the area, Officer Jenkins saw two subjects walking out of the woods returning to the truck dressed in camouflage clothing with hunter orange vests and carrying rifles. The subjects admitted to hunting during the closed season in the WMA. Both subjects were cited for hunting during a period closed to hunting in the WMA.

 

NASSAU COUNTY

 

Officer Waldo was patrolling south of Callahan on US 1 when information was conveyed to him by the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office dispatch of a person with an illegal deer driving a silver car in Four Creeks State Forest. Officer Waldo went to the area and upon entering Four Creeks State Forest, he observed a vehicle matching the description. Officer Waldo stopped the driver and asked him if he had been hunting. The suspect was wearing camouflage clothing and had an orange vest beside him on the passenger seat of the vehicle. The suspect stated that he had only been scouting the area. Officer Waldo observed drops of blood on the bumper of the vehicle and asked the suspect if he could look inside the trunk of his vehicle. The suspect gave permission and then admitted that he had a rifle and a deer in the trunk. Officer Waldo saw an antlerless deer and rifle once the trunk was opened. The subject was cited for no quota permit and possession of illegal bag limit/game in violation of management area rules.

 

COPS (Community Oriented Policing)

 

Lieutenant Kiss was invited to the annual Kiwanis “Turkey Shoot” event in Jasper. Lieutenant Kiss answered hunting-related questions from the members in between their relays. Approximately 50 people were in attendance for the 4-hour event.

 

Captain Redmond gave a presentation and answered questions about the FWC’s Division of Law Enforcement to the Lake City Lion’s Club International. There were approximately 20 members in attendance.

 

  

NORTHEAST REGION

 

MARION COUNTY

 

Officer Wilke had previously located a baited tree stand site in the Church Lake Unit of Ocala Wildlife Management Area (WMA). The opening weekend of general gun season Officer Wilke went to check on the site and located an individual hunting in a tree stand directly above the bait. The individual was issued a notice to appear for the violation.

 

Officers Wilke and Dias were patrolling a clear cut area in Ocala WMA two hours before sunrise. They observed a truck driving on a road on the opposite side of the clear cut while working a light along the clear cut. The officers were unable to get to the vehicle without being detected. The next morning, Officer Wilke set up on the same side of the clear cut where the officers had observed the truck the morning before. About an hour and a half before sunrise, he observed a truck matching the description of the one the morning before, again working a light along the clear cut in a manner capable of disclosing the presence of deer. After stopping the vehicle, Officer Wilke found a loaded rifle and a loaded shotgun on the front seat within immediate access of two individuals. Both subjects were issued a notice to appear for the violation.

 

Officer Wilke observed a vehicle operating on a closed road in the Ocala WMA Church Lake Unit. A records check revealed the passenger had an active warrant for his arrest out of Marion County for Grand Theft. The subject was arrested and transported to the Marion County Jail.

 

Officer Wilke received a call from an informant that a man was driving down the highway in possession of a doe deer. Officer Wilke was able to locate the vehicle and confirm the subject was in possession of a doe deer. The subject stated that he thought doe week had started November 17; however, doe week does not start in Marion County until November 23. The subject was issued a notice to appear for the violation.

 

VOLUSIA COUNTY

 

While on patrol in Tiger Bay State Forest WMA, Officers Ransom and North encountered an individual skinning an illegal doe deer on his tailgate. The subject admitted to killing the deer earlier that morning and leaving the WMA. The subject explained that due to his living in an apartment complex in the city, he opted to return to the woods to butcher the deer. He was cited accordingly and his .243 caliber rifle that was used to take the deer was seized as evidence.

 

Officers Malicoat and McDonough were checking inbound fishing vessels near ‘Three Bridges’ in New Smyrna Beach.  Two adult males arrived in a skiff and were subsequently found to be in possession of 12 sheepshead under the minimum size limit allowed.  An FWC records check indicated the vessel owner, one of the adult males, had been cited for the same offense previously.  He was issued a misdemeanor notice to appear for the fishing violation and was issued a civil citation for uncorrected safety equipment on his vessel.

 

Officer McDonough was checking fishermen leaving the north jetty at Ponce Inlet one night when an adult male was subsequently found to be in possession of seven mangrove snapper.  After measuring the man’s catch, Officer McDonough issued him a misdemeanor notice to appear for having four of snapper under the minimum size limit allowed.  He was issued a warning for possessing more than his legal daily limit of mangrove snapper.

 

OSCEOLA COUNTY

 

After working the boat race is Saint Cloud, Officer Mendez checked an individual fishing in the C-3 Canal.  The defendant advised Officer Mendez that he had fish in his bait bucket. After further inspection, Officer Mendez located an undersized, ten-inch black bass wrapped in plastic in another box.  Officer Mendez cited the individual for possession of undersized black bass.

 

BREVARD COUNTY

 

While on foot patrol of the Eau Gallie Boat Ramp in Melbourne, Officer Rasey stopped an individual to perform a resource inspection.  Upon inspection, the fisherman was found to be in possession of ten spotted sea trout, six more than regional bag limit.  Of the ten trout, eight were undersized.  The suspect was issued a misdemeanor resource citation for possession of undersized spotted sea trout and received a warning for over the bag limit.  He was also given a saltwater regulation guide for future reference.

 

COPS (Community Oriented Policing)

 

Officers Rutherford, Rasey and Lightsey participated in a Fall Festival outreach in West Melbourne in Brevard County for the local Hispanic Community. There were over 300 people in attendance at the event, with about 100 of them being youth. The officers focused on bringing awareness of the FWC and alligator awareness to the local Spanish speaking population. The officers fielded many questions using a Spanish translator in regards to the local fish and wildlife in the area and the rules governing their take. The kids enjoyed visiting with a small alligator the officers brought.

 

Officer Platt and Investigator Morgan taught a hunter safety course at Port Malabar Gun Club in Brevard County. They taught the “Laws and Ethics” portion of the class and were available to talk and answer questions afterwards.  There were approximately 35 people/youths in attendance.

 

Officer Miller and Investigator Morgan taught a hunter safety course at Guns and Camo in Brevard County.  They taught the “Laws and Ethics” portion of the class and were available to talk and answer questions afterwards.  There were approximately 30 people/youths in attendance.

 

Officer Humphrey manned an information booth during the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge 50^th Anniversary Festival in Brevard County.  The estimated attendance of the event was between 600 and 700 people.  Officer Humphrey answered a wide range of fish and wildlife questions from the attending public.

 

Officer Ash gave a presentation to several classes of fifth and second graders at Glendale Elementary School in Vero Beach, Indian River County.  The hour-long presentation discussed alligators, their place in the environment and human interaction with them.  Officer Ash took a small alligator to show the children.  The students were very attentive and had excellent questions including what alligators ate and when, why and how far they traveled.  Officer Ash had a total of 90 youth contacts and 7 adult contacts.

 

Officers Kist and Weber conducted an Alligator Handling Class for 25 law enforcement recruits from the Institute of Public Safety, Lake County Sheriff’s Office.

 

Officer McDaniel participated in a teach-in at Oviedo High School in Seminole County. He introduced students to FWC and our mission. He also showed them different types of native and non-native wildlife. Approximately 150 youths were in attendance.

 

 

SOUTHWEST REGION

 

POLK COUNTY

 

Officer Still was on patrol in Arbuckle WMA when he heard a shot. He found a vehicle and apprehended an adult male and a juvenile female hunting wild hogs during closed season on the WMA. The man admitted to the charge and was issued a notice to appear in court.

 

Officer Adams responded to a complaint concerning an adult subject and two juveniles killing an alligator. After investigating the incident, the male subject confessed that two juveniles in his care had shot an alligator which he butchered and then served at a cookout. After consulting with the Polk County State’s Attorney’s Office, a charge for the unlawful possession of an alligator was filed against the adult male. The 12- and 10-year old juveniles were warned about shooting alligators.

 

Officer Sweat responded to a report of a boating accident that occurred on the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes.  A subject participating in a fishing tournament was traveling south in the C-37 Canal when he was struck in the eye by an insect.  Temporarily blinded by the insect, the subject was unable to maneuver his vessel through the bridge supports of the Zipprer Bridge.  The rear of the vessel struck one of the bridge supports which catapulted the vessel into a nearby cypress tree.  The operator sustained minor injuries to his head and knee but refused medical treatment.  The damage to the vessel is estimated at approximately $5,000.  The operator was issued a warning for a violation of the navigational rules resulting in an accident.

 

Lieutenant Birge was working night-hunting activity in the Osprey Unit WMA and observed a vehicle entering the WMA after legal hours.  The occupants of the vehicle were displaying a light from the passenger side of the vehicle.  After watching the vehicle and its occupants for about thirty minutes, Lieutenant Birge stopped the vehicle.  No weapons were found and the occupants were charged with entering the area after legal hours.

 

COPS (Community Oriented Policing)

 

Officers Adams and Zimmerman conducted a presentation at Sue Arnold’s Wildlife Rehab open house in Okeechobee. They answered questions concerning wildlife and there were several thousand people in attendance

 

 

SOUTH REGION A

 

BROWARD COUNTY

 

Investigators Cambi, Gilbert, Leathers and Lieutenant Sacco participated in a multi-jurisdictional task force to include the United State Coast Guard (USCG), Customs/Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Broward County Sheriff’s Office. The task force members boarded a foreign freighter docked in a berth along the Dania Cut-Off Canal in search of environmental and other associated crimes. This is the second operation developed from the newly formed, FWC-sponsored “Environmental Workshop” for Miami-Dade and Broward counties.    

 

Officer Warne received a call from dispatch regarding a vehicle driving on the beach of John Lloyd State Park attempting to recover a jet ski from the ocean. Officer Warne arrived and observed that the vehicle was stuck in the sand, a few feet from the tide line of the ocean. A rotational tow service was contacted and the vehicle and the jet ski were safely retrieved from the beach. The subject was arrested and charged for the violation. During the investigation, Officer Warne observed a subject drinking an alcoholic beverage. Officer Warne made contact with the subject. The subject placed the bottle in his bathing suit and attempted to conceal it. The subject would not comply with Officer Warne's lawful commands. After multiple commands, the subject took an aggressive posture and positioned the glass bottle in his hand, holding the long neck portion of the bottle. Officer Warne advised the subject to turn around and drop the bottle; the subject refused. Shortly after, Investigator Serphos arrived as a back-up unit and the subject was detained. The subject was charged with consumption of alcohol in a state park and resisting arrest without violence.

 

Officer Brock was on vessel patrol near Hillsboro Inlet. He conducted a boating safety and a fisheries inspection on a vessel. Pursuant to the fisheries inspection, one individual was found to be in possession of an undersized sailfish. That individual was issued a citation for possession of an undersized sailfish. One dead sailfish was seized as evidence.

 

Officer Brock was on patrol in the Hillsboro Inlet. A heavy outgoing current was occurring past the Hillsboro Inlet Bridge. A sailboat lost an engine and was wedged temporarily against the bridge’s fender system. Damage to the sailboat was severe along its side. Officer Brock is conducting a boating accident investigation on this incident.

 

Officers Brock and Rodriguez were on vessel patrol offshore of the Hillsboro Inlet. They observed a vessel with two individuals on board fishing. The officers conducted a marine fisheries inspection. Pursuant to the inspection, Officer Rodriguez issued one individual a citation for no fishing license and the other individual a criminal notice to appear for possession of over the bag limit of yellowtail snapper as he was in possession of 25 yellowtail snapper.  Fifteen dead yellowtail snapper were seized as evidence.

 

Officer Sullivan responded to the City of Sunrise in reference to an alligator complaint. A juvenile had hooked a two-foot-long alligator accidentally with his fishing pole. The juvenile brought the alligator to his home where his parents called FWC. Officer Sullivan arrived and took possession of the alligator and explained that moving the alligator was not the correct thing to do, but to call FWC right away instead of handling the alligator. Officer Sullivan relocated the alligator to the Everglades without incident.

 

Officer Wright responded to a call regarding an object floating just offshore of Ft. Lauderdale. Officer Wright arrived on scene.  The object turned out to be a floating abandoned net. The net was at least 60 feet in length and weighed at several hundred pounds. Officer Wright, with assistance of several other FWC officers, was able to retrieve the jumble of net out of the water so it would not damage marine resources. No identifiers were found.

 

Investigator Cambi responded as our agency’s representative to the South Florida Emergency Operations Center after the crash of a Learjet three miles off of Fort Lauderdale. Investigators Luher, Booth and Officer Wiernicki assisted the USCG, National Transportation Safety Board and various other local agencies in the search and recovery of aircraft debris and associated items from Wednesday’s air ambulance plane crash off Ft. Lauderdale.  The Learjet 35 was carrying four and was headed to Cozumel after successfully bringing a patient from Costa Rica to South Florida for emergency medical treatment. Two occupants were recovered. The search continues for the two other missing occupants. Officer Wiernicki brought her 10-meter vessel down from St. Lucie County to assist in this multi-agency operation. The 10-meter vessel has a forward looking infrared (FLIR) unit.   Investigator Booth is a FLIR operator for the agency.  Also assisting with this mission were Palm Beach County area Officers Basford, LeBlanc, Hankinson and Godward.

 

GLADES COUNTY

 

Lieutenant Brown called Officer Alford to advise that he was receiving complaints that two subjects were taking soft shell turtles off County Road 720 at Uncle Joe’s Fish Camp. The complainant advised that this was an event in progress. The subjects were described as driving a maroon Marquis. Officer Alford found the subjects in the described location as they were walking away from the canal, one carrying a fishing pole. On the ground was a rake and a stake with line running into the canal. One of the subjects slammed the trunk when he noticed Officer Alford pulling up in his marked unit. Officer Alford asked the owner if he would open the trunk for inspection. The owner agreed. Inside the trunk were several burlap sacks and other set lines, like the one in the canal. There was a foul smelling odor coming from the trunk. The subjects claimed to be attempting to catch catfish and that the burlap sacks were for storing the catfish. Both subjects had prior violations for possessing over the daily bag limit of soft shell turtles. There were five other set lines in addition to the one beside the car, none were marked. Officer Alford had the subjects remove the lines, inspected each one, and cited both subjects accordingly.

 

Officer Davis (in plain clothes) was talking with some frog fishermen at the Alvin Ward Boat Ramp when he saw an airboat approaching the boat ramp. When the airboat reached the concrete ramp, it accelerated and ran dry up to his trailer and loaded up on the trailer approximately 200 yards away. In the process of loading the boat on the trailer the operator blew sand and gravel all over the frog fishermen’s trucks and airboats. One of the fishermen became very angry and started over to the airboat and began yelling at the operator. At this time, Officer Davis identified himself and told the fishermen that if there was no damage, they needed to leave and they did. When Officer Davis made contact with the airboat operator he noticed that he was slurring his speech and had difficulty staying focused. Officer Davis also could smell a strong odor of alcohol coming from the individual. Officer Davis asked him how much he had to drink and he said “enough.”  Officer Davis asked for his ID but he could not provide one because he said he had received a DUI in September.  Officer Davis asked him to perform field sobriety tasks and he refused. Officer Davis then asked if he would submit to a test of his breath and he refused.  The subject was arrested for BUI and received a citation for careless operation of a vessel.

 

MARTIN COUNTY

 

Officers Koch and Doricchi were on patrol in Jensen Beach late at night when they observed a car in a parking space drive forward into a parking curb and then back out of the parking space and head west down Jensen Beach Boulevard. Officer Doricchi, in the unmarked patrol vehicle, started to follow the vehicle to observe the driving pattern.  The vehicle was swerving from side to side crossing both the solid white and broken white lines in both lanes multiple times.  The vehicle turned into a grocery store parking lot where Officer Koch began to follow and establish a driving pattern as well.  The vehicle drove back onto the roadway heading west.  The vehicle then changed lanes into a left turning lane at a clear intersection and a green light where he hesitated before making a u-turn and then started driving back east on the same road.  Officer Koch initiated a traffic stop a short time after as he was driving a marked patrol truck. Officer Doricchi administered standardized field sobriety tasks and the driver did not perform the tasks as a person that was not impaired would.  Given the totality of the circumstances, Officer Doricchi arrested and booked the driver into the Martin County Jail for driving under the influence.

 

OKEECHOBEE COUNTY

 

Officer Davis and Lieutenant Strenth were in plain clothes investigating an ongoing complaint of people setting gill nets in the Kissimmee River. When they arrived at the location, they observed a vessel pulling a rope in reverse. They watched it for awhile and came to the conclusion that they were working a net that they had sunk to the bottom of the river. Lieutenant Strenth called Lakeland dispatch and got Officer Adams headed their way from the north. He then took the buggy back to the truck where he met Investigator Douglas who had brought an airboat. Meanwhile, Officer Davis had stayed back maintaining surveillance on the vessel. The occupants had begun picking the gill net keeping every fish that was entangled in it. Officer Davis noticed another vessel approach the suspect vessel from the north and talk to them for a short time and leave.  At this time, the suspects started pulling in the net as fast as they could, not worrying about removing the fish. RPO Davis called Lieutenant Strenth and Investigator Douglas, who had just launched the airboat, and told them they were picking up the net fast. The suspect vessel left the area in a hurried manner headed toward Lieutenant Strenth where they were subsequently stopped. The subjects were found to be in possession of a 600’ x 13’9” monofilament gill net with a stretched mesh of 2.5”. They were also in possession of a multitude of game fish. They were cited for taking game/freshwater fish by illegal method. The net was seized.

 

PALM BEACH COUNTY

 

Officer Haynes responded to a complaint about two men hunting in a closed area in Corbett WMA. Upon arrival, he made contact with two male subjects. One subject had three bows and arrows and one subject was carrying a 30-06 hunting rifle. Further checks showed that the subject carrying the 30-06 rifle had numerous previous felony convictions. He was arrested, booked into Palm Beach County Jail and charged with possession of firearm by convicted felon and hunting in a closed area. The subject with the bows was issued citations for no hunting license, no wildlife management area permit and a warning for hunting in a closed area. Two of the bows he possessed belonged to the Everglades Youth Camp and were turned over to them (he stated he found them in the woods).

 

 

SOUTH REGION B

 

COLLIER COUNTY

 

While conducting fisheries inspections on vessels within Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Lieutenants Barrett and Mahoney stopped a vessel returning from an offshore trip.  The operator stated that he had a red grouper on board, but he didn’t know its length because he didn’t have a measuring device.  After pointing out that there was a ruler on the top of the cooler where the fish had been stored, Lieutenant Mahoney measured the red grouper to have a total length of well under the 20-inch-minimum size limit.  The fish was seized as evidence and appropriate citations were issued.

 

A concerned citizen alerted Officers Stastny and Tidwell that there was a manatee in distress due to low tide conditions at Hideaway Beach.  Once the water level was high enough, the officers were able to escort the manatee into deeper water where it was able to swim away.

 

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY

 

Officers Caldwell and Martir received a call to assist the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) with a fisheries inspection of a vessel.  The FWC officers met with USCG personnel at the Haulover Park Boat Ramp.  Three subjects were on board a vessel that contained coolers of fish.  Two of the subjects stated that they were the only ones fishing and had caught all of the fish.  A fisheries inspection revealed some unregulated fish as well as twenty-five lane snappers, three of which were undersized, and three undersized mutton snappers.  Additionally, both subjects did not possess a valid saltwater fishing license.  Both subjects were cited for the resource violations while one subject was additionally cited for boating safety equipment violations.

 

Officers Diaz and Little were on patrol in Biscayne Bay near Homestead Bayfront Park when they stopped a small vessel occupied by two subjects who were clearly fishing at some point. The subjects proclaimed that there were no fish on board the vessel; however, a thorough fisheries inspection revealed one speared snook stashed away in a compartment on the vessel. The subjects were charged accordingly.

 

COPS (Community Oriented Policing)

 

Officer Thurkettle, Administrative Assistant James and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Officer Costello participated at the Annual Florida Panther Festival at the North Collier Regional Park.  They spoke to adults and children about panther, bear, alligator and feral hog habitats and how to behave when coming across these animals.  In addition, many people were able to obtain copies of the Saltwater Fishing, Freshwater Fishing and Hunting Regulations and the officers answered their questions regarding the regulations.

 

Officers Dube and Sneed of the Division of Marine Fisheries Management assisted in the FWC-sponsored "Ladies Let's Go Fishing" Seminar at the Tavernier Elk's Lodge.  The FWC set up a table at the event with vast amounts of information and gave the do's and don'ts of boating along with giving demonstrations on how to properly vent fish and use a de-hooking device.  Officer Dube was even "roped" into teaching Marlinspike at one of the hands-on stations to the group of ladies when one of the instructors didn't show.  The three-day event had over sixty female anglers of all ages registered and they came from all over Florida.