FWC Law Enforcement Report
From FWCThis report represents some events the FWC handled Aug. 11 - 17 in the Northwest Region. (There were no cases reported for Wakulla County.)
SANTA ROSA COUNTY
• Officers Ramos and Ates were on night patrol and observed two subjects gigging and attempting to take flounder. The vessel they were using did not display required navigational lights. The officers conducted a boating safety and resource inspection and asked the subjects if they had any fish. One of the subjects replied they had a flounder and took it from a small cooler and showed the officers, implying it was the only fish on board. Officer Ramos continued investigating and discovered the subjects were also in possession of a red drum they had gigged, which is an illegal method of harvest for this species. Officer Ates issued the subject a notice to appear for the violations.
Cases from the North Central Region:
DIXIE COUNTY
• Officer Specialist Sheffield and Lt. Ward observed an airboat approaching a local boat ramp in Dixie County. Once the airboat was loaded onto a trailer, subjects began to move fish from the vessel to a cooler. A marine resource inspection was conducted, and it was determined the operator of the vessel was in possession of several undersized black drum and flounder. There were also multiple vessel safety and registration violations. Officer Specialist Sheffield issued the appropriate citations.
SUWANNEE COUNTY
• Senior Officer Davenport initiated an investigation into possible title fraud on a vessel he had stopped for an inspection on the Santa Fe River. After observing the vessel’s hull identification number had been tampered with, the vessel was seized. In the following weeks, Officer Davenport conducted multiple interviews involving individuals from several different states. With the help of FWC Investigations, Officer Davenport was able to determine the subjects filed false information on Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles paperwork to obtain a homemade vessel title. The vessel’s hull identification number was also tampered with to remove it from the vessel. Two felony charges and one misdemeanor charge were filed with the Suwannee County State Attorney’s Office.
• Officer Cline followed up on two individuals who were illegally camping on Suwannee River Water Management District lands. The individuals were initially issued warnings for multiple violations with the understanding that all litter was to be cleaned up. The officer checked multiple times over a span of two weeks to verify if the litter had been cleaned up. Officer Cline found a variety of litter, which exceeded 15 pounds, was left behind and he filed the appropriate charges.
TAYLOR COUNTY
• Officer Rowe received a call regarding a missing subject. The only information the officer received was a 75-year-old male subject left at around 9 a.m. to go fishing. Officer Rowe and Lieutenant Loyed began a search and after looking for five hours, they found the subject just inside Dixie County on the edge of the Steinhatchee River. The subject had a medical condition and slipped down the embankment and did not have the strength to get back to his vehicle. He was transported to a local hospital for severe dehydration and observation.