Gulfport police logged 119 dispatch calls and made four arrests last week

Gulfport Police Department officers handled 119 dispatched calls for service and initiated 339 self-directed contacts during the week of October 22 through October 28. The department’s patrol division generated 32 incident or offense reports from that activity. Officers made four arrests, conducted 59 traffic or vessel stops, and issued 28 parking violations. They also recorded 16 ordinance violations and performed 43 house checks.

One arrest resulted from an incident at a bar where a patron attempted to fight another customer. The man entered a vehicle without an invitation and scratched the owner’s face when the owner tried to remove him. While officers investigated, the man ran from them and kicked an officer during his arrest. He was charged with burglary with a battery, resisting an officer without violence, and battery on a law enforcement officer. The officer was not injured by the kick.

Another incident involved a man who yelled at neighbors and exposed himself on their property. A neighbor recorded the man walking onto the land, lowering his shorts, and engaging in lewd behavior. Officers transported the suspect for a mental health evaluation. He was charged with exposure of sexual organs.

In a domestic disturbance, a woman reported that the father of her child struck her multiple times and knocked her phone from her hand while she called 911. He took her phone and vehicle without permission and fled before officers arrived. Surveillance cameras captured the event. The suspect, who has prior battery convictions, faces charges for felony domestic battery, auto theft, theft of the phone, and tampering with a victim.

Officers responded to a cemetery where the caretaker reported possible vandalism. Investigation revealed that a hired vehicle became stuck on the property and damaged several gravesites during removal. The caretaker obtained the vehicle’s identifying information. In a separate case, a lawn care worker reported that someone stole his bicycle, trailer, and equipment from a client’s front yard. Officers found the property in the possession of a person camping at a convenience store across the street. The worker and his mother declined to pursue criminal charges.

A business owner reported an irate customer who left before police arrived. The customer had requested additional food and became upset when told it would cost extra. She left the food she had already paid for. In another call, a business employee reported that an employee struck a man over the amount of alcohol in his drink. The man left before officers arrived and later appeared intoxicated during a telephone contact.

Officers found an unconscious man near a bush who was not breathing. They initiated CPR and other lifesaving efforts but were unsuccessful. The man was pronounced deceased at a hospital. Suspected narcotics were found in his backpack. A resident also reported that his mother slapped him in the face. Another adult witnessed the incident. The mother was arrested and charged with domestic battery.

Property crimes included the theft of a stainless-steel steam table, three steam pans, and a dolly from an outdoor storage area. The estimated value of the stolen items was over $1,100. At a vacant rental, the owner found a pried-open window and personal belongings inside, suggesting unauthorized occupancy. A man also reported a break-in at his truck, which had sat at a paint shop for about a year. The interior was ransacked, but the timeframe of the entry was unknown.

The Marine Unit patrolled the area to distribute flyers regarding long-term anchoring regulations. Many boaters indicated they had already obtained the required permit. The unit forwarded two derelict vessel cases to the county for removal. Planning is underway for a joint marine enforcement operation with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.