Go Means Go: After pulling over a car with no tag at 29th Street N. and 38th Avenue E., officers discovered the car’s passenger had two outstanding warrants and placed him under arrest. The driver, who was secretly carrying both marijuana and a “large” hunk of crack, was told he was free to go. Rather than beat a hasty retreat, the man “elected to stay to see how his friend made out.” Good buddy, bad criminal. Since the man was sticking around, the cops decided to search him, found his drugs and sent him downtown with his pal.
NARC-oleptic: Being arrested can be exhausting. Just ask the guy pulled over for riding his bike at night without a headlight. After seeing the guy had a clean record and a CDL endorsement, the cop decided to let him go. As he began to ride off, the officer stopped the man again and asked if he’d consent to a search, upon which a crack pipe was found and the guy was arrested. Once in the squad car, the tuckered-out suspect passed out on another passenger and was revived by paramedics waving smelling salts. He then went unconscious again and was refused by the nurse at central booking. The officer finally transported the guy to Tampa General, where he passed out and was revived yet again: this time by a nurse poking him really hard in the leg with a pen.
Small Crimes I: A woman who reported her “Zanax” stolen stated that the pills were taken while she was in jail for committing a “petite crime.” The evidence on that one was thin, with the chance of an arrest somewhere between petite and none.
Small Crimes II: In another case, a woman reported her ATM card had been used to withdraw “approx. $646.72” without her consent. Who’s making these estimates, Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man?
The Art Of The Deal: People love to bargain, and who doesn’t love a good deal when paying for sex? An undercover officer working the corner of Lois and Osborne in Tampa was treated to two distinct negotiating styles. The first gentleman went with a firm price, asking “fifty all right?” and then bargaining on the activity involved, finally agreeing to “half and half” for his cash. A second man and his friend were more interested in a flexible price, working the officer hard for a $10 discount on a pair of blowjobs. The flashing lights and handcuffs proved to be a deal-breaker in both cases.
Drive Me Crazy: Travelers beware! It’s always a good idea to observe the local traffic laws of the locales you visit. A man driving around in Ybor City was observed by police running a red light at the intersection of Seventh Avenue and 21st Street N. After the cops moved in for a routine traffic stop, the driver attempted to escape by turning the wrong way down a one-way street. Once stopped, the driver, who didn’t have a driver’s license, produced an Alabama ID card. This raised a question about his Georgia license plate. The confused tourist then had to admit that the Georgia license plate on the car was bogus, meant to cover up the lack of registration. For his trouble, the man received a chauffeured ride to Central Booking and had his car towed to Pete’s Towing “for safe keeping.”Taken from the files of the T.P.D.
This article appears in May 12-18, 2005.
