Shelter Island Police Department blotter: May 2, 2023
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 In court, the charges against them may be reduced or withdrawn or the defendants may be found not guilty.
POLICE INCIDENTS
Police conducted seven distracted driving and traffic stops in the Center on April 26 through 29, resulting in four warnings.
An anonymous caller reported a tractor running unattended in the Heights on April 24; the driver was in the process of loading an excavator onto a low-boy trailer.
A downed wire in a Center driveway was called in on April 24; the wire was an old television wire and was removed by police. Another downed cable wire was reported on Ram Island on the 25th; Cablevision responded.
Also on the 25th, a truck parked on a hill in West Neck was creating a hazard for traffic; it was gone when an officer arrived. A dock broke loose in Menantic; an officer secured the dock and notified the owner.
On April 26, an officer monitored daily rainfall in the Heights as part of a monthly report to the Department of Environmental Conservation regarding the Dering Harbor Conditional Shellfishing Program.
An officer had lunch with the Shelter Island School kindergarten class in a school program on April 26. Police investigated a call about a person entering a Heights marina with no boats in the area. After a review of video camera footage, the caller realized that the person was boarding a boat farther down the beach.
Police received a call for information purposes about pictures being posted on utility poles in the Center; no police response was needed. Also on the 26th, an anonymous caller reported a person yelling loudly on a phone in front of the Pridwin. An officer interviewed the person and the Pridwin’s manager asked police not to investigate further, nor to advise the man to stay off the dock.
Police investigated property missing from a Center complainant’s front yard.
A case involving a juvenile incident on April 27 was investigated. A Heights caller asked to speak to an officer with a question about trespassing.
A Center caller reported being contacted by a person purporting to be from the Teachers Federal Credit Union, claiming she had overdue bills. She immediately checked all accounts which showed no monetary loss and was further advised to change all her passwords.
A report of illegal commercial fishing was reported anonymously in Coecles Harbor on April 27. A search of the area showed negative results.
A caller said a trailer was blocking a roadway in the Center on April 28; the trailer was removed without incident.
On April 29, a caller told police she had returned to her Silver Beach home and found an open door with the lights on. A case of burglary may have been suspected.. An officer on patrol noticed another open front door in Silver Beach on April 30; the residence was secured and the caretaker notified.
An officer removed a tree branch in a Center roadway on April 30.
In other incidents: police taught DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) lessons to 5th and 6th graders; fingerprinted two people; unlocked a vehicle with the keys inside; responded to a false 911 call; and provided an escort from North Ferry.
ALARMS
The Shelter Island Fire and Police departments responded to three alarms on April 26 and 27 in West Neck, South Ferry Hills and the Heights. Both alarms on the 26th were for carbon monoxide; there was no emergency in one; the owner will check with the alarm company regarding a faulty detector in the other.
A fire alarm in the Heights may have been activated by an unconfirmed report of someone vaping in the bathroom. There were no problems.
A commercial alarm at the Islander was set off on the 27th by accident, the owner said.
ANIMALS
A lost dog was reported in Dering Harbor; the animal control officer (ACO) assisted in the search until the dog was found by its owner. A dog at large in Silver Beach was located by the ACO at the same time as the owner. The ACO was unable to locate a dog at large in Menantic.
A Center caller said a stray cat had entered the house; the ACO transported the cat to a vet for a checkup. The caller had been feeding the cat outdoors for some time and decided to adopt it. The ACO assisted in capturing a sick cat in a Center barn and transported the animal to a vet.
A wounded osprey in Cartwright was captured by the ACO and taken to a wildlife rehabilitator. A second osprey in Westmoreland was observed trying to make a nest on a platform needing repair. The ACO agreed to help the owner get a new platform.
An injured turkey flew away in South Ferry Hills when the ACO tried to capture it.
AIDED CASES
Shelter Island Emergency Medical Services teams transported three people to Eastern Long Island Hospital on April 26 and 29.
