FWC Division of Law Enforcement Weekly Report August 14, 2015 thru August 20, 2015

(Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.) FWC Division of Law Enforcement   Weekly Report August 14, 2015 thru August 20, 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 WASHINGTON COUNTY Officer Jackson participated in two public outreach events.  The Back to School Bash at Live Oak Baptist Church in New Hope had approximately 250 attendees and she distributed pamphlets, answered questions and introduced the public to a small alligator.  The Orange Hill Express Feed Store in Chipley held a quality deer management seminar with approximately 25 people attending, where she answered questions about the deer hunting antler rule changes, deer units, and how the changes are in place to increase the quality outdoor experience and deer quality.    BAY COUNTY Officer Gore was on water patrol when he observed a commercial crabber working their trap line.  Officer Gore followed shortly afterward and pulled eleven of the traps the crabber just emptied and re-baited.  Each trap was found to have an improper sized buoys, which had illegible numbers and no color.  The traps were found to have each escape ring blocked, no biodegradable panel and improper trap ID markings.  An inspection of the crabber’s vessel found several boating safety issues that had been addressed earlier in the year with written warnings, but as of yet, hadn’t been corrected by the commercial fisher.  Two citations were issued for the illegal traps and written warnings issued for the boating safety problems.        ESCAMBIA COUNTY Officer Cushing was dispatched to a search and rescue late Saturday night in Perdido Bay.  It was reported that two inexperienced adults (Father and Son) launched a 17’ Hobie Cat from a vacant lot on the north side of Perdido Bay around 1700 and had not returned.  Officer Cushing drove his patrol boat approximately twenty miles to get to the area.  Within seconds of his patrol boat settling in the water Officer Cushing could hear persons yelling for help.  Officer Cushing moved toward the voices and found both subjects in good condition sitting on top of the capsized vessel in the middle of Perdido Bay, approximately 200 yards from where he began his search. Officer Cushing was working in Bayou Texar in the early hours of Sunday morning.  He conducted a marine fisheries inspection at Bayou Texar Boat Ramp of a vessel returning from a fishing a trip.  When asked if the subject had any fish he stated that he had some “trout” and “red fish”.  Officer Cushing asked him how many he had and he stated that he had yesterdays and todays bag limit.  The subject was in possession of five red fish and one speckled trout.  He was issued a citation for being over the bag limit. SANTA ROSA COUNTY Officer Barnard wrapped up an investigation regarding a boat that was dumped in the Yellow River.  The boat turned up just down river from a primitive boat launch near Log Lake Landing.  The registration numbers were removed, but Officer Barnard was able to determine them from the adhesive.  He located the last registered owner just a few miles away.  The owner had the trailer in his yard, but claimed that he gave the boat to a scrapper.  The man could not provide any valid contact information for the man, and witness accounts did not match his story.  The man removed the boat from the river, but claimed that the scrap man he gave the boat to must have dumped it.  However, all of the motor and stern drive, along with various other pieces of aluminum and stainless steel were still attached to the boat.  Officer Barnard obtained a warrant and the man was booked on the charge of littering. OKALOOSA COUNTY Officers Pifer and Molnar assisted Special Agents from the Florida Department of Business Professional Regulation’s Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco (ABT) with a three week detail targeting the illegal sale of alcohol beverages on Crab Island.  The Officers and Agents worked in plain cloths and attempted to purchase alcohol beverages from several food establishments on Crab Island.  During the course of the detail, one establishment provided alcohol beverage to a minor working for ABT.  The Officers and Agents requested assistance from Officers Maltais and Corbin to provide a uniform presence during the take down.  While ABT Agents addressed the alcohol violation, Officer Molnar conducted a livery inspection which revealed multiple violations.  The individual who provided alcohol to the undercover minor was determined to have an active warrant out of Okaloosa County for violation of probation.  The individual was placed under arrest by Officer Corbin for the warrant and was issued a notice to appear from ABT for the alcohol violation.  Charges for the livery violations will be direct filed with the State Attorney’s Office. Officer Pifer was on vessel patrol conducting boating safety/fisheries inspections in the Santa Rosa Sound.  During an inspection of a vessel, he located an out of season and undersized red snapper and an undersized gray/mangrove snapper on board.  The red snapper measured 13 inches in total length.  The legal size is 16 inches or greater.  The gray snapper measured 9 inches in total length.  The legal is 10 inches or greater.  Two individuals claimed possession of the fish and were cited for the violations. Later that evening, Officer Pifer stopped a vessel in the Destin Pass to conduct a saltwater fisheries inspection.  During the inspection of one of the vessels live wells, one individual placed his foot in the live well while opening the hatch in an attempt to conceal what was inside.  Officer Pifer observed a red drum inside and asked the individual to pull the fish out for inspection.  Officer Pifer determined that the red drum was oversized, measuring 30 ¾ in total length. The legal slot size is 18 inches to 27 inches in total length. The individual was cited for the violation. While heading home, Officer Pifer made contact with two individuals fishing from shore.  A fisheries inspection of a white five gallon bucket revealed an extremely undersized red drum, three undersized gray/mangrove snapper, and one undersized flounder.  The red drum measured 9 inches, the gray snapper measured 9.5 inches and the flounder measured 11.5 inches.  Citations were issued for undersized red drum and undersized gray/mangrove snapper and warnings were issued for undersized flounder and saltwater license violations. Officer Pifer was conducting fisheries inspections at the Okaloosa Fishing Pier when he made contact with an individual who had been fishing.   In plain view in the individual’s white bucket were three small spanish mackerel that Officer Pifer determined to be undersized.  The spanish mackerel measured 11.5 inches, 11.25 inches and 11 inches in fork length.  The legal size is 12 inches or greater.  The individual was cited for the violation. Officers Pifer and Molnar responded to Rocky Bayou State Park in reference to three subjects panhandling inside the park.  The Officers located the subject’s camp site. Officer Molnar noticed in plain view a glass smoking device on a picnic table.  Upon further inspection, it contained cannabis residue inside it and one of the subjects admitted to smoking cannabis in it moments before FWC arrival.  After obtaining verbal consent to search two separate bags, five more smoking devices were located. Two of which were commonly used to smoke crack cocaine, two were commonly used to smoke meth and another of which was used to smoke cannabis. It was determined that all six pipes belonged to one of the subjects and he was not a resident of Florida. He was arrested and charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and transported to the Okaloosa County Jail. Officer Molnar was on vessel patrol conducting boating safety inspections on Crab Island.  Officer Molnar stopped a personal watercraft (PWC) to conduct a boating safety inspection.  The Officer observed the operator operating the PWC in an erratic manner within an idle speed zone.  Once contact was made, the operator was showing multiple signs of impairment.  When asked, the subject agreed to perform field sobriety tasks and boarded the officers’ vessel.  After the first task was complete, the subject refused to continue with the additional tasks.  At that point, the subject was placed under arrest for boating under the influence (B.U.I.) and transported to the Coast Guard Station for processing.   The individual was read the implied consent and refused to provide a sample of his breath. He was transported to the Okaloosa County Jail for boating under the influence and refusal to sign citations. He was issued citations for refusal to submit (1st Offense) and failure to display vessel registration certificate.

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