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FWC
Division of Law Enforcement
Weekly Report
May 8, 2015 thru May 14, 2015
This report represents some events the FWC handled over the past week;
however, it does not include all actions taken by the Division of Law Enforcement.
Patrol, Protect, Preserve
NORTHWEST REGION
BAY COUNTY
Officers Wicker and Price responded to call about a missing person on Shell Island. The missing person had called FWC dispatch on her cell phone and said she got separated from her husband, got lost on the Island, and was now unable to move anymore due to arthritis. She also couldn’t give any information about where she was, who dropped her off on the island, or where she was dropped off. FWC dispatch was able to get a GPS ping off her cell phone, plot it on the computer, and send the information to the officers. When the officers arrived close to the suspected location, they hit their siren several times and then heard her yelling for help. The officers waded to shore and found the subject sitting on the ground, yelling for help, and waving a shirt in the air. The officers helped her onto her feet and escorted her back to the patrol boat where they gave her some food and water. The female was reunited with her husband.
ESCAMBIA COUNTY
Officer Jones was conducting fishery inspections near Fort Pickens at the Pensacola Pass. He contacted three fishermen on a vessel who were in possession of a cobia that measured 31 inches in length. The minimum length by Florida law is 33 inches measured to the fork of the tail. The fishermen said that they were sure it was long enough, but they had no measuring device. Officer Jones issued a notice to appear to the operator of the boat who accepted responsibility for the illegal catch.
GULF COUNTY
Officers Lipford and Webb were on vessel patrol offshore from Mexico Beach when they observed a vessel with one subject on board fishing. They conducted a resource inspection and nine undersized red snapper were located. The fisher was issued a citation for possession of undersized red snapper and possession of red snapper during a closure.
OKALOOSA COUNTY
Officer H. Rockwell inspected a vessel on Hurricane Lake which revealed two subjects in possession of undersized black bass. The subjects admitted to knowing the legal size limit. One of the subjects claimed possession of the illegal fish and was issued a citation.
Officer Molnar conducted a vessel stop for improper display of registration numbers and a boating safety inspection. The only occupant and operator of the vessel was under the age of 21 and was in possession of multiple alcoholic beverages. While Officer Molnar conducted the investigation, the subject’s friend arrived at the dock operating a PWC. After speaking with the friend, Officer Molnar noticed he was showing multiple signs of impairment. After field sobriety tasks were completed on the friend, he was arrested for BUI. He provided a breath sample of .126 and .122 BrAC and was booked into the Okaloosa County Jail. The subject under the age of 21 was charged with possession of alcohol by a person under 21.
The FWC Offshore Patrol Vessel Vigilance made its maiden voyage out of Destin. On its first patrol, officers attempted to stop a vessel in federal waters about 10.5 miles south of the Destin Pass. When they approached, the officers noticed the suspect vessel turn and began throwing red snapper from the boat. The Captain then got on the ship’s loud speaker and advised them to stop throwing fish overboard while one of the subjects was still in the act. During the boarding, the crew found them to still be in possession of one red snapper. The subjects admitted to throwing the red snapper from the boat and stated that they didn’t think the fish would float. All five subjects were federally charged with possession of red snapper during closed season. Two of the subjects were charged for throwing the fish overboard resulting in a total of seven federal charges. All fish were recovered for evidence.
Officers Molnar and Pifer conducted a vessel stop in the Destin Pass to conduct a resource inspection. Upon further investigation, the officers found two separate subjects in possession of gag grouper out of season. Both subjects were issued notice to appear citations for possession of gag grouper out of season. An additional citation was issued for no saltwater fishing license.
SANTA ROSA COUNTY
Officer Hutchinson and Investigator Hughes were patrolling the Escambia River Wildlife Management Area when they observed a vessel with two occupants pull up to a bush hook tied to a tree limb on the edge of the river. They observed the passenger in the front of the vessel pull the bush hook out of the water and hand it to the vessel operator. The operator then baited the line and placed it back into the water. The officers made contact with the occupants and discovered that the operator did not have a valid freshwater fishing license. After further investigation, they discovered the bush hook was not properly tagged and it was baited with parts of a game fish. The subjects were issued citations for using game fish for bait on a bush hook and fishing without a license.
The Fincat crew was on patrol over the weekend in both state and federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico. A state citation was issued to a fisherman returning from an overnight fishing trip early in the morning. When asked if he had any fish, he stated he had one “big eye.” He quickly offered to show the officers the fish from afar. A closer inspection revealed a 33‑inch red snapper. Later that day, while waiting near a dive boat, a diver surfaced unaware of the officers’ presence. The officers overheard the diver stating he had two amberjack, one of which he thought was too small. The fish was five inches too short. The diver was issued a citation for undersized greater amberjack. While initiating another vessel inspection in federal waters, one of the fishermen stated to the officers that they had a king mackerel and a few other fish. During the inspection, Officer Land located a bag of 14 gray triggerfish fillets, four red snapper fillets, two gag grouper fillets and two pompano fillets. Federal citations were issued to all four subjects for multiple violations.
COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING
GULF COUNTY
Officer M. Webb spoke with approximately 100 graduating seniors from Port St. Joe and Wewahitchka about careers as an FWC officer. The seniors were receptive and asked many questions. It was a great opportunity for the FWC to reach out to future potential officers.
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