Sunday, Jan. 3 | A Laptop, a Crockpot and a Kitchen Knife Set
The Responding Officer (R/O) was dispatched to a west side residence around 5 p.m. in reference to a possible Burglary. Upon arrival, he met with the 26-year-old female complainant who said she had come home to find items missing from her garage. She said a cleaning service had been at the residence earlier in the day, and wondered if someone from the service had stolen a laptop, a crockpot and a kitchen knife set from her garage. The officer interviewed a neighbor next door who said he had been working in his garage and front yard all day. He said he had seen a car pull into the driveway and a man and woman get out and go inside through the front door. The witness believed this to be a legitimate cleaning service. The witness also observed a third person, a female, pull into the driveway and speak to the cleaners. The third suspect eventually left, and the witness observed the cleaning crew exit the residence and lock the front door. He did not see anyone else come or go that day. The case is under investigation.
Saturday, Jan. 9 | A Mental Issue (or Possibly Just High)
The R/O was on routine patrol along Center Street around 1 p.m. when he saw a man dancing on the side of the road (although there was no audible music). As the officer passed, he made eye contact with the subject who stopped dancing and stared at the officer. The subject then reached into his jacket as if going for a gun. The officer drove away from the subject and called for backup. Moments later, the officer, along with backup, stopped the man for an interview. The R/O explained to the 23-year-old subject how his actions had been concerning. The subject agreed to be frisked and no weapons or contraband were found. The R/O writes in his report, “(Officer 2) and I both concur that (subject) may have a mental issue, or possibly be high, just from the conversation we had with him.” The R/O notes the subject seemed jittery and spoke very loud, answering questions with long, drawn-out sentences. The subject apologized for making movements that could be misconstrued. He was cleared through dispatch (no warrants) and released.
Sunday, Jan. 10 | It’s Unfortunate How Often This Happens on Folly
Around 3 p.m. a 52-year-old woman walked into FBPS headquarter to report a case of Fraud. She said she had just gotten into town that day after driving across the country from California. She said she had rented an apartment on Folly Beach off of craigslist, paying over $3,700 for deposit and rent for a an apartment on East Arctic. When she arrived, she was unable to locate apartment #307. The craigslist ad contained photos from the balcony of the apartment showing the Folly Pier. She asked some people in the building if they knew where the apartment was, and was told the street address was right, but the apartments were lettered A-D. The complainant had been unsuccessful in attempting to contact the person she had rented from. All of the money had been wired to a Bank of America account. She was set to start a new job in Charleston the next day. The victim turned copies of all of her paperwork over to the police. The case is currently under investigation.
Friday, Jan. 15 | Man Can No Longer Play with His Dinghy
A 31-year-old man walked into FBPS headquarters around 1:30 p.m. to report a theft. He said an 8.8-foot-long, white plastic dinghy had been stolen from his backyard. The item did not have a serial number, but has “8.8 Water Tender” written on the outside. The item had been stolen sometime between 11 p.m. and 8 a.m. the previous night/morning. There was no trailer, so the subject would have had to pick it up and carry it away. The value of the item was listed at $600.
Friday, Jan. 15 | One Block’s Too Far
The R/O was on routine patrol along East Ashley around 9 p.m. when he observed a specific vehicle parked at Bert’s Market. The officer recognized the vehicle as belonging to a Folly resident who he knew to have a suspended driver’s license. The R/O had previously personally warned the subject not to drive while his license was suspended. The R/O then observed the same man get into the car with a juvenile female and drive away. The officer pulled the car over and confronted the subject. The man said he was taking his niece to Bert’s to get something to eat. Although the subject lives less than a block away, he said he couldn’t walk due to his back hurting. The officer informed him that was not a valid excuse to be operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license. The subject was then placed under arrest for Driving Under Suspension. The juvenile was picked up by her grandmother.
Saturday, Jan. 16 | Something in the Air
The R/O was standing outside the fire station around 1:30 p.m., working routine security during the Taste of Folly Festival when he thought he smelled marijuana smoke. He asked another officer if he smelled it too and the other officer answered in the affirmative. The two walked into the street trying to locate the origin and followed the odor across West Cooper to a residence across the street from the police station. There, they observed the 21-year-old male subject sitting on the porch smoking a hand-rolled cigarette. The R/O asked the subject if he was smoking marijuana and the subject admitted he was. The subject was cuffed and taken to the police station for further investigation. There the officers found a plastic bag of marijuana on his person. The subject was issued citations for drug offences and released.
Saturday, Jan. 16 | Nothing’s Ever Going to Stand in My Way
The R/O was in the area of Second Street West and West Huron around 2 p.m. in reference to illegally parked cars when he observed a black Chevy truck approach the intersection. The roadway was blocked off for festival traffic control purposes. The officer saw the driver try to squeeze between the FBPS barricade and the stop sign. Unsuccessful, the driver tried to back the truck up, almost hitting other cars in the process. Again the driver tried to squeeze past the detour sign, this time striking it, and pushing the sign out of the way, nearly running it completely over. The officer initiated a traffic stop and called for backup. As the R/O approached the 53-year-old male driver, he saw signs the man was intoxicated, and smelled alcohol emanating from the vehicle’s interior. The subject responded to the officer’s questioning about what he was doing and was he aware he was hitting the barricade with blank stares. Eventually the subject said he was just trying to get home. A field sobriety test was initiated, which the subject failed. The subject was arrested for Driving Under Suspicion of Intoxication and taken to the public safety office where he blew a .29 on the Breathalyzer. He was charged with DUI and Open Container and taken to jail.
Sunday, Jan. 24 | How Much for a Room In THE off-season?
The R/O was dispatched to a Folly Beach hotel lobby around 2:42 a.m. in reference to an intoxicated female. The officer located the 33-year-old subject passed out in the lobby. They awakened the subject and identified her through her SCDL. They gave the subject the opportunity to call someone to pick her up, but after 10 minutes, she was unable to get anyone. They then offered to let her get a room at the hotel, but she refused. Having no other option, the woman was arrested and charged with Public Intoxication, taken to jail, and was issued a $500 fine and a court date.
