Shelter Island Police Department blotter — July 6-12
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 In court, the charges against them may be reduced or withdrawn or the defendants may be found not guilty.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
Jacqueline A. Racer of Brooklyn was driving on North Ferry Road when she was given a ticket on July 7 for failure to stop at a stop sign.
Bay constables issued four town summonses — one on July 7 and three on July 10. Eugene P. Lewis of New York City was ticketed for operating an unregistered motorboat in North Ferry Channel and Robert A. Levine of Oakland Park, Fla., received a similar summons in the waters off Crescent Beach.
Neil Kayser of Southold was ticketed for operating a boat in the swim area of Crescent Beach and Nico Taufer of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., was cited for not having a sound-producing device on his jet ski while in the South Ferry area.
Police conducted 19 distracted driving and traffic stops in the Center, Heights and Menantic on July 6 through July 11, resulting in 14 warnings and one ticket. Traffic control officers issued 14 parking tickets.
Accidents
A caller alerted police to an unoccupied vehicle on Crescent Beach on July 5. Following an investigation, police determined that Joseph A. Padworski of Mattituck was driving west on Shore Road when he left the roadway, went through a fence on the north side of the road and ended up on the beach. He reported the accident to police on July 6. There was over $1,000 in damage to the front fender of the vehicle and both front tires were flat. Mr. Padworski said he had sustained injuries in the accident.
On July 7, Frank L. Taylor of Southampton was backing out of a parking lot at South Ferry when he hit a parked pickup truck belonging to Michael M. Earley of Shelter Island. There was no damage reported to Mr. Taylor’s vehicle; over $1,000 was estimated in damage to Mr. Earley’s.
Cornelia Patricia Carragher of New York City was attempting to back out of a parking space at the Chase Bank on July 8 when she mistakenly put the vehicle in drive and hit a light pole with the right front of her vehicle, causing over $1,000 in damage.
On July 7, John J. Kenney of Shelter Island told police a blue truck had backed into his boat trailer on Tower Hill Road, causing only minor damage.
Other reports
While on patrol on July 6, an officer noticed eight boats anchored outside designated anchorages in West Neck Harbor; another boat was tied up to a private mooring without the owner’s permission. Boating guides were handed out and all owners agreed to move.
Also on that date, the Police Department disposed of 280 pounds of prescription drugs that had been turned in. They were taken to an incinerator in Huntington.
A caller reported on July 6 that a street sign in the Center had been hit; an officer responded and could find no paint marks to identify the vehicle.
Kite boarders were anonymously reported near swimmers and anchorages in West Neck Harbor on July 6. An officer and bay constable located four of them and they were advised to relocate.
An officer assisted five paddle boarders to get back to Crescent Beach on July 7.
On that date, a caller reported smelling gas inside his Center residence; the Shelter Island Fire Department (SIFD) determined it was caused by low fuel in the tanks. The gas valve to the home was shut off.
PSEG was notified about smoking wires in an in ground electrical box in Menantic on July 8. Cones were set out to alert pedestrians.
Police responded on July 8 to the residence of two people who were suspected of committing a petty larceny at a Center business. Both thought they had paid and returned to the business to do so. The person who called did not wish to pursue charges.
A burning dinner in a microwave caused smoke in a Hay Beach residence on the 8th. When police responded, the place had been aired out; no SIFD presence was necessary.
An extra patrol on that date was requested due to a report of vehicles regularly speeding on Winthrop Road — perhaps ferry commuters circumventing the Center, the caller said.
On July 9, a caller reported a person defecating in a Center parking lot; the person was advised to use proper facilities in the future.
Also on the 9th, police opened a confidential investigation into a child protection matter. Officers responded to a missing kayaker report; the kayaker was located by Southold police off Youngs Point.
Loud music was reported in Menantic on the 9th; an officer explained that the music was for a charity event and, according to town code, exempt from the noise ordinance.
PSEG was notified on July 10 about a downed tree in West Neck. An officer closed the road. On that date, an officer stopped a paddle boarder on Shell Beach for not having a PFD (personal flotation device). The owner said he had one but it was not secured properly and may have been lost during the launch.
A vehicle was reported on the beach on Ram Island; the owner was advised to move it to a parking lot. Also on the 10th, the owner of a motorboat in Dering Harbor was given a warning for failure to display the registration documents.
Police stopped a boat for traveling at an imprudent speed in the South Ferry channel. The operator said a passenger on board was not feeling well and he wanted to get back to the dock in Sag Harbor as quickly as possible.
On the 10th, police responded to a complaint about loud music at the Shipwreck Bar at SALT. An officer found that the decibel level for amplified sound did not exceed the town code. The owner was notified and said he would continue to do his best to keep the music within the acceptable limits.
An anonymous caller reported a group taking small crabs in Crab Creek. An officer confirmed that all the crabs were of legal size and that the crabber had a valid town shellfish permit.
Loud music was also reported on the 10th at Hay Beach; the area was canvassed with negative results. An officer responded to a complaint about loud music in the Heights; the volume was lowered without incident.
The sound of gunshots in Cartwright was called in. Several people interviewed said they heard what sounded like fireworks. Police searched the area and found no sign of either.
On July 11, debris was reported on a Center roadway; it had been removed when an officer arrived.
While on patrol, bay constables issued a warning to a motorboat operator in Coecles Harbor who failed to display the registration.
Also on the 11th, a caller reported that two motorcyclists had honked their horns and aggressively passed her on West Neck Road. They were located at Sunset Beach Motel and denied the incident but stated they were lost in the area. They were advised to obey all rules of the road.
An anonymous caller told police that a jeep was driving around the Montclair area in reverse. An officer responded but the vehicle was gone when he arrived.
Police investigated a report on the 11th that a suspicious person had been seen climbing out from under the Beach Club in the Heights.
A Ram Island resident told police on July 12 that he smelled burning plastic inside the residence. The SIFD responded and was unable to determine the source of the odor.
Police were notified on the 12th that a truck was blocking the entrance to the gas station on Bridge Street. Although the truck had left before an officer arrived, the traffic control officer at the site said the vehicle was delivering construction materials and that traffic had been directed during the delivery.
An officer on patrol in the Heights was checking the Beach Club and found two youths on the dock. They were advised that the area was closed after 5 p.m. and left without incident.
In other reports during the week, police attended three training sessions; logged 11 lost and found reports; performed traffic duty; unlocked a vehicle with the keys inside; investigated a false 911 call; conducted a well-being check and responded to a disabled vehicle call.
Alarms
The SIFD answered five fire alarms in Hay Beach, West Neck, Westmoreland, the Heights and Silver Beach on July 6 (two calls), July 9, 10 and 14. One was caused by a faulty sensor; a second at Perlman Music Camp was a false alarm; and three were set off due to technical problems and malfunctions.
A residential alarm on Ram Island on July 6 was a false alarm, the owner said. A smoke alarm in West Neck on July 7 was the result of an ongoing problem and the alarm company was notified. An alarm on July 7 on Ram Island was activated accidentally by the caretaker. Negative problems were noted when an alarm was set off in the Center on July 9.
Animals
Animal control officers (ACOs) conducted patrols of Wades and Crescent beaches, looking for dogs at large or on leashes, on July 8, 9, 10 and 11. Multiple warnings were issued to dogs’ owners
A dog at large was reported at a Center intersection; an ACO searched the area without success. Another dog at large in the Heights was retrieved by its owner before the ACO arrived.
A dog at large in the Center was recognized by the ACO and subsequently claimed by its owner. Another dog, reported in the Center, was captured and returned its owner.
A caller reported a dog attacking two other dogs and their owners. An officer secured the dog and the two owners were transported to Eastern Long Island Hospital for medical attention.
A caller reported a cat on a Center roadway; the ACO was unable to locate it. An injured cat was called in the same evening in the Center; it was captured by the ACO who planned to take it to the vet the next morning.
A large snapping turtle was hit by a vehicle in the Center and was transported to a vet by the ACO.
A sick raccoon in Hay Beach was picked up by the ACO and taken to a vet. A baby bird, alone in the Center, was transported to a vet.
A domestic rabbit got loose in the Center; the ACO was not able to capture it but said it appeared to be thriving.
An osprey’s nest on a Dering Harbor dock was reported. The ACO saw three healthy juvenile ospreys not yet fledged and advised the caller to stay away from the nest.
Aided cases
Shelter Island Emergency Medical Services teams transported three people to Eastern Long Island Hospital on July 9, 11 and 12. A fourth person decided to call a doctor in the morning.
