Shelter Island Police Department blotter: Jan. 4, 2022

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 In court, the charges against them may be reduced or withdrawn or the defendants may be found not guilty.

10 alarms top police blotter

Summonses

Two tickets were issued on Dec. 22. Dennis M. Flanagan of Shirley was ticketed while driving on St. Mary’s Road for failure to stop at a stop sign.

Jeb R. Schmidt of Southampton was given a summons for speeding on North Cartwright Road — 50 miles per hour in a 35-mph zone.

On Dec. 23, Andrew S. Karsch of Cambridge, Mass. got two tickets for failure to keep right on North Menantic Road and for speeding — 49 mph in a 35-mph zone.

Julian Guat-Monton of Eastport was stopped by police on North Ferry Road on Dec. 29 for driving with no/inadequate lights.

Police conducted distracted driving enforcement and traffic stops on Dec. 21-23, Dec. 27-29 and Jan. 1-2 in the Center, Cartwright, Menantic and the Heights, resulting in 10 warnings and five tickets.

Accidents

Daniel B. Rasmussen of Shelter Island was turning around in his driveway off Manwaring Road on Dec. 21 when he backed into a parked vehicle belonging to Lisa M. Rasmussen of West Babylon, causing more than $1,000 damage to both vehicles — the driver’s-side rear of Mr. Rasmussen’s vehicle and the passenger’s-side of the parked vehicle.

Other reports

A caller reported on Dec. 20, for informational purposes, that he had warned hunters trespassing on his property that he would call the police if it happened again.

PSEG was notified of a tree leaning over a primary wire in Menantic on Dec. 21.

A caller told police on Dec. 22 for documentation purposes that items he had ordered were never delivered.

The Center, Heights and Dering Harbor highway departments were notified on Dec. 24 of slippery, snow-covered roadways.

On that day, the Shelter Island Fire Department (SIFD) responded to smoke in a Center residence. They located a hot spot under the hearth in the basement. The fireplace was a metal prefabricated fire box with brick inserts, not designed for the fire that had been blazing there for approximately seven hours. Over-firing caused heat to transfer from the box to the wood subfloor. The SIFD extinguished the fire.

PSEG was notified of a partial lack of power at a Menantic residence on Dec. 25.

On the 28th, a caller reported seeing on-camera persons entering the bilco doors to her basement. An officer responded and was told an employee had entered the basement to turn on the water needed for a fence repair that had been ordered.

That day, police were told about a large amount of broken plates and glass on a Center roadway. It was cleared away by the Highway Department. Loud music was reported on Ram Island; an officer sat stationary patrol for 10 minutes at the location and heard no music.

Police responded to a complaint on Dec. 29 regarding non-payment for services, and advised the caller it was civil in nature and to proceed with civil proceedings.

On the 30th, a large truck was reported blocking a roadway in Menantic. The truck was being removed when police arrived.

Police were told on Dec. 31 that a speed sign on New York Avenue had been damaged by a pellet gun. A Menantic caller reported that he noticed smoke coming from the engine of his truck, minutes before it caught on fire and was fully engulfed. The SIFD responded and extinguished the fire.

Also on the 31st, police responded to a prior domestic dispute in Hay Beach.

On Jan. 1, a caller reported that a tree limb fell on his vehicle that was parked in the Heights, damaging the driver’s-side mirror, front fender, hood, windshield and the rear quarter panel on the driver’s side.

The operator of a vehicle parked on a Heights property was advised to remove it on Jan. 2. A smell of propane was reported near the Visitors Center of Mashomack Preserve; the SIFD found a propane leak coming from the mechanical room and shut it off.

Among other reports, police conducted two well-being checks; participated in a community outreach meeting; unlocked two vehicles with the keys inside; unlocked two residences; conducted a DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) class for 6th graders; attended training; and appeared in court.

Alarms

A caretaker reported that a fire alarm in West Neck on Dec. 20 was set off as a result of a malfunctioning alarm.

On the 22nd, an officer found the premises of Hay Beach home were secure after a motion detector activated the alarm.

The SIFD responded to a smoke alarm in Hay Beach on the 22nd, caused by smoke from cooking. A second alarm on Dec. 23 in West Neck was also determined by the SIFD to have been set off by cooking.

A motion alarm in the Center on Dec. 25 was not an emergency, the owner told police.

The SIFD confirmed on Dec. 27 that a carbon monoxide alert in the Center was a false alarm.

A fire alarm in the Center was set off accidentally on Dec. 29 and a burglary alarm in Dering Harbor was the result of an improper code being entered.

Police found the premises secure after an alarm was set off in Hay Beach on Jan. 1 but said a cat may have caused the activation. At the absentee owner’s request, an officer put the cat in an upstairs bedroom.

On Jan 2nd, a Hay Beach owner had difficulty with a residential alarm system that caused it to be tripped.

Animals

Seven dogs at large were reported in Westmoreland, South Ferry Hills, the Center and Cartwright. Six were reunited successfully with their owners; the seventh was located being walked by its owner.

A deer was reported stuck in a wire in the Center; the area was canvassed but the deer was gone. A second deer caught in a West Neck fence was freed by the animal control officer (ACO).

A sick raccoon in Tarkettle could not be located by the ACO. Another raccoon seen in a Center BBQ grill was located.

Aided cases

Shelter Island Emergency Medical Service teams transported six people to Eastern Long Island Hospital on Dec. 20, 22, 25 and 31.