Photo courtesy of the Gulfport Police Department/Dan Liedtke
Our weekly report contains examples of calls for service we handled throughout the week. These calls resulted in a report being generated, an arrest being made, or are important for other squads to know about. It is not a full report for all calls; for a call log, please refer to Pinellas County’s Crime Viewer.
Eye on Gulfport: Aug. 20-26 Gulfport Police Weekly Activity Report
Patrol Division
- Dispatched calls for service: 88
- Self-initiated calls for service: 318
- Incident/offense reports: 22
- Arrests made: 5
- Traffic/vessel stops: 55
- Parking violations: 44
- Ordinance violations: 19
- House checks: 43
Look through the Eye on Gulfport’s report for Aug. 13-19.
Examples of arrests or significant incidents or calls this week:
After stopping at a stop sign, a vehicle drove into an intersection and struck another vehicle traveling eastbound. The collision caused the second vehicle to strike an occupied golf cart. The at-fault driver was issued a traffic citation.
Officers responded to an in-progress domestic disturbance. A husband and wife are in the process of divorcing and living at separate residences. The wife arrived at the husband’s residence, entered through an unsecured rear window, and physically attacked him by biting his arm, scratching the back of his neck, and ripping a chain from his neck. The wife left in a vehicle before the officers arrived. A probable cause affidavit was entered into the Virtual Inmate Processing and Receiving database and a short time later, the suspect’s vehicle was stopped by the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. The wife was arrested and transported to the Pinellas County jail.
A guest failed to check out at the scheduled time. Officers contacted the guest, who stated she had fallen asleep and was hoping to stay an additional night. The owner declined the request. The guest gathered her belongings and vacated the apartment without further incident.
[Read more below]
How We Cover Crime
When the current owners purchased The Gabber Newspaper in 2020, they made many changes. In October 2020, they changed policies on how The Gabber Newspaper handles crime reporting. Take a look at why we made that change, and why we now run the Chief’s report as we do.
Officers responded to a two-vehicle crash involving an overturned and unoccupied vehicle. A Gulfport Police K-9 was deployed to search for the driver, with assistance from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office Aviation Unit. The 19-year-old female driver was later located after a resident called 911 to report her on their front porch using a phone. She stated she ran because she panicked after being involved in her first crash. She was evaluated for impairment and determined not to be under the influence. The driver of the second vehicle was transported to a local hospital with minor injuries, and both vehicles were towed from the scene. She was issued citations for careless driving and leaving the scene of a crash.
A bar employee reported that several individuals were tampering with a fire hydrant associated with the business’s sprinkler system. One of the individuals entered the bar and intentionally threw two glasses onto the floor, causing them to break. Officer Yancey located the individual, who was intoxicated and uncooperative. The man was charged with disorderly intoxication, resisting arrest without violence, and criminal mischief.
A construction worker completing work at a vacant residence reported that a ladder, air compressor, and several tools were stolen from a detached garage on the property.
While investigating the theft of construction tools, officers discovered that one of the construction workers at the location, had an outstanding warrant for failure to appear on a traffic summons. He was arrested and transported to the Pinellas County jail.
[Read more below]
The Gabber Newspaper? We Go There
In 1968, our founder, George Brann, started The Gabber Newspaper, then called the Gulfport Gabber, to hold Gulfport City Council accountable. Read more of our city council coverage, and learn about our policies on reporting, fact-checking, and funding.
A property owner reported that a tenant who was in the process of being evicted and had no electricity plugged a phone into an exterior electrical outlet without permission. The tenant admitted to using the outlet but stated he was not attempting to steal electricity. The property owner requested prosecution, and the case will be forwarded to the State Attorney’s Office for review of a possible theft charge.
A female laughed at a man who was walking down the street, which led to a confrontation in a parking lot. The female retreated to her vehicle; however, the male opened the driver’s side door and punched her in the face. Officers located and arrested the man for burglary/battery. He was transported to the Pinellas County jail.
Officers responded to a report of yelling outside a residence. Officers determined that a boyfriend and girlfriend had been involved in an argument, during which the boyfriend intentionally broke the rear window of the vehicle being driven by the girlfriend. He left the location and agreed to pay for the damage. The following day, officers confirmed that he had paid for the repairs, and the registered owner of the vehicle declined prosecution.
A co-worker went to a residence to check on a female and found her unresponsive. Several empty pill bottles and a note were located inside the residence. EMS responded and transported the female to a local hospital for evaluation and treatment.
We’re the calm during the storm. No hype, only help!
Bookmark The Gabber Newspaper‘s storm coverage page for quick access to relevant tropical storm updates. No hype, no guessing, only updates on call centers, shelters, sandbags, and closures. Also, don’t go out in the wind and rain — watch it in real time on our downtown Gulfport and beach web cams.
Looking for things to do in St. Petersburg, Gulfport, and the beaches? Check out The Gabber Newspaper’s full calendar of events. Have an event coming up? Give us the details (it’s free!) and we’ll help spread the word!
Keep Your Community Local: Donate Now To Support Us
Donate now to support The Gabber Newspaper. The owners of the paper take no income from the paper. Every penny donated helps keep your community news hyperlocal. And everyone who earns their living working at The Gabber Newspaper lives in Gulfport and St. Petersburg. Most of our freelancers live here, too. We support our community; please support us.
Love reading? The Gabber Newspaper has a monthly book club!
The book club focuses on Florida voices and stories, with special attention paid to historically marginalized voices. The club is free. It meets the second Wednesday of the month at Habana Café. Book discussion starts at 5:30 p.m. but members often arrive at 5 p.m. to order food and drinks. The book club meets every month except December. Find the schedule here.
