Blotter: EMS teams answer 14 calls in busy week

Those named in arrest reports or receiving police summonses have not been convicted of a crime. In court, the charges against them may be reduced or withdrawn or the defendants may be found not guilty.

Summonses

David H. Rolfe of New York City was driving on Clinton Avenue on Oct. 6 when he was stopped by police and given two tickets for insecure/dirty license plates and for operating an unregistered vehicle.

Schuster B. Tanger of New York City was ticketed for failure to stop at a stop sign on West Neck Road on Oct. 10.

On Oct. 11, Bruno Musso, also of New York City, was given a summons for driving at a speed not reasonable or prudent on South Cartwright Road.

Police gave a ticket to Joel S. Usher of Ridge on Oct. 12 for failure to stop at a stop sign on Winthrop Road.

Police conducted 25 traffic stops and DWI, radar and distracted driving enforcement in the Center, Menantic, the Heights, West Neck and Cartwright on Oct. 6 and Oct. 8 through 12, resulting in 13 warnings and five tickets.

Other reports

An officer on patrol on Oct. 6 saw an open garage door with the lights on in Silver Beach. The owner was contacted, the door secured and no problems noted.

A caller reported on Oct. 7 that a vehicle, which had been seen at a neighboring residence in previous years when the owner still lived there, had been there again the day before. The complainant was advised to call police if the car returned.

Police were informed on Oct. 7 that a pickup truck was being driven by a woman holding a toddler. The caller spoke to the driver and then drove to Police Headquarters to report the incident. The area was canvassed with negative results.

Also on the 7th, a South Ferry employee reported that the driver of a vehicle had failed to pay the ferry fare and left the boat. Police searched the area but were unable to locate the driver.

Police responded and notified PSEG on Oct. 7 after a caller said a tree was down on wires in HiLo, creating a hazardous condition. The power was also out in the area.

On Oct. 8, an anonymous caller told police a branch was hanging on wires in the Center. An officer found in one location a small branch touching cable wires and posing no threat. After numerous attempts, the caller could not be reached to confirm the location. An officer on patrol the same day saw a large tree limb on a primary wire in the Center. PSEG was notified and traffic cones were set out.

A caller told police on Oct. 8 that she had received a scam call saying there was a problem with her social security number. She provided no information and hung up. Headquarters was notified for informational purposes only.

A West Neck person called in on Oct. 8 about two people trespassing on her property without permission. The people were gone when an officer arrived.

An extra patrol was requested on the 8th when young people were seen allegedly vaping in the Center. The caller approached the group, verbally warned them about vaping, and the group scattered and ran away.

A caller reported a possible illegal mooring in West Neck Harbor on Oct. 9, concerned about the mooring’s proximity to his own. An officer checked, the mooring was permitted and appeared to be an adequate distance from others in the area.

The same day police were requested to be present while legal papers regarding a child custody case were being served in Tarkettle.

Police were told by a Ram Island caller on Oct. 9 that a vehicle with its headlights on was in the driveway of a vacant house next door. An officer noticed a chain secured by two master locks at the top of the driveway; he walked the property and saw no vehicles or people. However, lights were on at the home.

Police and the Shelter Island Fire Department responded to an anonymous call on Oct. 10 about a fire in a town garbage can in West Neck. Beachgoers had extinguished the fire when they arrived.

On the 10th, an officer on patrol noticed a golf cart on the side of a West Neck road with four youths inside. When the officer pulled up to investigate, the young people fled on foot; the area was searched with negative results.

The next day, a caller reported loud noise coming from a Ram Island location. Police found a small group of people talking on a second floor deck. An employee was informed of the complaint and the guests were advised to go inside.

Also on Oct. 11, a person told an officer at Police Headquarters that a person was trespassing on his private beach had refused to leave. The property owner did not want to pursue legal action but requested advice on how to prevent trespassers. He was advised to clearly mark private property with signage and/or fencing.

The operator of a sailboat was traveling northbound in Gardiners Bay when his boat’s propeller got caught in a buoy line off Cornelius Point. Although he was able to get underway with sail power, he lost control of the steering and ran ashore on Ram Island. Two marine units were able to pull the boat off the beach and tow it to Coecles Harbor Marina. 

An officer responded to an aided case call on Oct. 11 that turned out to be the result of an assault in Menantic. The alleged victim first declined to press charges and then subsequently changed her mind and decided to document charges of harassment.

The same day, police received a report of four young men who earlier had blocked traffic in the Center with traffic cones and had asked drivers for money. They had left the area when the caller notified police.

The next day, a caller reported a water main break on Clinton Avenue in the Heights. An officer assisted with traffic until a detour could be set up.

Among other reports, police responded to four lost and found incidents, assisted two residents in their homes, unlocked a vehicle with the keys inside and conducted a well-being check.

Alarms

The SIFD responded to two alarms on Oct. 6 and 7, both in Dering Harbor. One was a propane detector, set off by a system malfunction. The second was a fire alarm, caused by soldering in the basement.

A motion alarm was tripped accidentally in Silver Beach on Oct. 7 and a residential alarm in Dering Harbor was set off by mistake on Oct. 12.

Animal incidents

A dog at large was reported in South Ferry Hills; an animal control officer (ACO) searched the area without results.

An anonymous caller reported a dog loose in the Center. An officer noticed the dog going inside the owner’s residence and left a message for her that she would be ticketed if the dog was seen at large again.

Two dogs at large were seen in Menantic; the ACO and owner searched the area and located both dogs.

A caller told police about a sick raccoon in the Heights. The ACO was unable to locate the animal. Two days later, the caller reported a raccoon was now in her kitchen. The ACO responded and removed the raccoon.

A raccoon stuck in a dumpster in the Heights was removed by an ACO. A caller reported a sick raccoon already in a trap in the Heights. The ACO transported the animal to a vet who determined the raccoon was fine; the raccoon was released by the ACO.

Aided cases

Shelter Island Emergency Medical Service teams transported 12 people to Eastern Long Island Hospital on Oct. 6, 7, 9 and 10 – six calls in one day on the 10th. One additional case on Oct. 8 did not require transport and one on Oct. 10 refused medical attention.