FWC Law Enforcement Report

May 18, 2018

The Florida FWC Division of Law Enforcement reported the following activity during the weekly period ending May 3 in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.

ESCAMBIA COUNTY

Officers Allgood and Manning responded to a call regarding two subjects fishing from a vessel in a restricted no motor zone near Fort McRee. While approaching, they noticed there was a tent set up in the area near the vessel. They approached the tent and spoke to the two subjects who were present. While speaking to them, they noticed drug paraphernalia lying in the tent and one of the subjects had a methamphetamine pipe in his front pocket. Both subjects were found to be in possession of cannabis, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine. Both subjects were arrested and transported to the Escambia County Jail.

While on patrol, Officer Cushing saw a vessel near the 17th Avenue Boat Ramp without any navigational lights on not making way. A second vessel inbound was hauled by the first vessel to assist getting to the boat ramp. When both vessels neared the boat ramp, Officer Cushing contacted the disabled vessel as the assisting vessel was idling away. Cushing projected his voice several times to get the attention of the assisting vessel operator. The operator seemed hesitant to respond, but the officer eventually contacted him. When questioned about having any fish, he indicated that he only had white trout. When asked to see the fish, the individual was slow to reveal the contents of the live well. Officer Cushing directed him to move a tackle bag and open the lid fully. Inside the live well was a 33-inch redfish. Officer Cushing initiated a fisheries inspection with the other vessel. The operator stated that he had two redfish and a red snapper and some other miscellaneous fish. Officer Cushing inspected the catch. One of the redfish was oversized. Citations were issued to both subjects for the oversized redfish violations and several warnings for the other resource and boating safety violations.

Department of Agriculture Criminal Investigator Shaw advised Environmental Investigator Hughes his agency had received a complaint regarding the storage and disposal of yard trash debris (land clearing debris) on private property in Escambia County. Investigator Shaw stated the yard trash debris had been placed on the property by the complainant’s daughter’s previous boyfriend who operated a commercial stump and tree removal business. After a month-long investigation, an Escambia County Circuit Judge reviewed and issued a warrant for the arrest of a defendant for violation of Section 403.161(1)(b) pursuant to Florida Administrative Code 62-701.300(1)(a) that states “(1) General Prohibition. (a) No person shall store, process, or dispose of solid waste except as authorized at a permitted solid waste management facility or a facility exempt from permitting under this chapter” (1st degree misdemeanor).

SANTA ROSA COUNTY

Officers Jernigan and Arnette responded to a single vessel accident on the Blackwater River. The lone occupant lost control of his 13-foot boat and was thrown from it in a curve of the river. The vessel continued around the curve and ran up into the brush along the riverbank. The man luckily suffered only minor abrasions. The man was issued a citation for violation of a navigation rule.

Officer Ramos conducted a fisheries inspection on three subjects at a boat ramp. The officer found an oversized red drum located in a cooler next to the subjects. One of the subjects admitted to catching the oversized red drum. Officer Ramos continued his investigation and located multiple white baggies with white substances which were field tested and identified as powder and crack cocaine. The subjects were also in possession of crushed Xanax without a prescription. The subject was placed under arrest and transported to the county jail for possession of a controlled substance. He was also issued a warning for the oversized red drum.

Officers have been receiving many complaints about subjects on the Navarre Pier catching their daily bag limit for pompano, taking it home, and then returning to the pier to catch more pompano exceeding their daily bag limit. Santa Rosa County officers formed a targeted enforcement detail to address the violations in which multiple subjects were seen catching pompano, departing the area and returning hours later to catch more pompano. Several subjects were issued notice to appear citations for taking over the daily bag limit of pompano.

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. Information provided by FWC.

NorthEscambia.com photo.

Comments

4 Responses to “FWC Law Enforcement Report”

  1. mark on May 20th, 2018 12:26 pm

    After that 24th hr I reckin its a beginning of a brand new day what ya think.

  2. John S Mason-Smith on May 18th, 2018 7:48 pm

    You are allowed only one red drum per day in the Northwest Florida zone. Reg’s are a moving target.

    http://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/red-drum/

  3. mike on May 18th, 2018 2:47 pm

    “Bag limit” is defined as the number of a particular species that an individual angler can harvest and possess in a given day. For example, the recreational bag limit for red drum in the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) northeast and northwest management zones is two fish per person, per day.

  4. just sayin on May 18th, 2018 11:26 am

    How does this daily bag limit work? Lets say you fished from 7 pm until 10 pm and you caught your daily limit of flounder. You go home and return at 12:01 am and fish until 3 am and catch your limit again on flounder. Is this considered two separate bags limits being that you fished two separate days?

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News