A sideswipe accident on Grand Avenue and six traffic tickets top the police blotter for November 22 to 29 during a quiet holiday week on Shelter Island.
[Editor’s note: We’ve reformatted and reissued our SIPD blotter posts as part of a system upgrade]
Accident and traffic stops
A caller reported watching as his car was sideswiped on Grand Avenue by a vehicle that possibly had New York plates. The accident occurred Monday, November 22, around 10:30 AM. The caller was out of town when he phoned in the report and had not yet gotten a damage estimate.
Officers stopped and issued tickets to these drivers as follows:
- Mehmet M. Ozsu of Sag Harbor on Tuesday, November 23 around 2:30 PM on South Ferry Road for operating a motor vehicle (MV) while using an electronic device
- Victor Fuentes of Greenport on Saturday, November 27 around 4 PM on St. Mary’s Road for failure to stop at a stop sign, and for being an unlicensed operator
- Walter Segundo Barrera Rea of Edgewater, MD on Monday, November 29 around 11:50 AM for operating a MV while using an electronic device
- Miguel A. DeJesus of Shelter Island on Monday, November 29 around 6:15 PM for no/inadequate lights
In addition, officers issued 10 warnings to drivers during traffic stops.
Detailed police blotter for November 22 to 29
Note: This post is based on information provided by the Shelter Island Police Department. Those named have not been convicted of a crime, and charges against them may be reduced or withdrawn, or they may be found not guilty.
Monday, November 22
Around 7:45 AM, a passerby reported a possible open door at Montclair residence; the responding officer secured the door and notified the homeowner. An officer reported for court duty. A Center caller informed SIPD of three scam letters.
An officer assisted a driver locked out of a vehicle. SIPD provided extra patrols at a caller’s request.
Tuesday, November 23
Around 3 AM, a Cartwright caller said a neighbor’s dog was left outdoors and was continuously barking; the responding officer notified the dog owner. A caller reported a missing checkbook but said no funds were missing.
SIPD advised a caller to contact an attorney about a civil complaint. Officers assisted with traffic control for a funeral. In the Center, a caller reported a sick raccoon; an Animal Control Officer could not locate the critter.
SIPD responded to a report of a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed in the Manhasset/Ram Island Road area. The vehicle was gone on arrival. A volunteer Shelter Island Emergency Medical Services team (SIEMS) transported an aided case to Stony Brook Eastern Long Island Hospital (SB/ELIH) for further medical attention.
Wednesday, November 24
Around 10:30 AM, a Shorewood caller expressed concern about a person seen kiteboarding about an hour earlier. The board was partially in the water on the beach, but no one was nearby. While the caller was speaking with the police, the board owner arrived to retrieve it.
Smoke from the wood-burning oven at Isola set off audible alarms in the building; the alarm company was working to rectify the problem. A Center caller reported an injured deer; the responding officer dispatched the animal and notified the Shelter Island Highway Department to remove it.
An officer assisted a driver locked out of a vehicle. SIPD officers administered oxygen to an aided case until SIEMS arrived and transported the person to SB/ELIH for further medical assistance.
Thursday, November 25
An early morning hangup call from a Menantic residence turned out not to be an emergency. There was a power outage in the Heights around 7:30 AM; PSEG was working to resolve the issue. An officer assisted a Hay Beach caller with checking a smoke detector.
Volunteers from the Shelter Island Fire Department (SIFD) aired a Center house where a carbon monoxide (CO) alarm sounded. None of the occupants had symptoms of CO exposure. A caller requested help with ferry fare; when an officer arrived at North Ferry, the caller was gone.
A passerby discovered a dead deer along Winthrop Road; the responding officer notified the Highway Department for removal. A Center caller reported that a dog walked into the residence; the dog was gone by the time police arrived.
Friday, November 26
An ACO removed a healthy raccoon that had gotten into a Menantic pool house. Later, the ACO could not find a dog reported missing from its Center home but was able to capture and transport to wildlife rehab a Merlin falcon in distress at a Center location.
Around 3 PM, a caller heating food in a Center business break room reported the smell of burning plastic. The SIFD responded and found a surge protector had melted on a heater. Around 6:30 PM, a Center caller reported a chimney fire. The caller had put the fire out, but SIFD responded to ensure it was completely extinguished.
Saturday, November 27
An officer conducted distracted driving enforcement in the Heights and observed no violations. While on patrol, an officer found plastic from a bumper and inner fender of an unknown vehicle on a Center roadside; a vehicle had struck a dirt embankment causing minor damage.
Officers assisted with traffic control for the Shelter Island Friends of the Library annual Turkey Plunge at Crescent Beach. SIEMS transported an aided case to SB/ELIH for medical attention. A passerby found an earring in the West Neck area and turned it in at police HQ.
SIEMS transported an aided case to SB/ELIH for further medical assistance. Around 9 PM, a Menantic caller reported a barking dog; an ACO notified the owner who was off-Island but got a dog sitter to put the dog inside. An officer assisted a driver locked out of a vehicle.
Later, an officer administered oxygen to an aided case until SIEMS arrived to evaluate and transport the person to SB/ELIH for further medical assistance.
Sunday, November 28
Around 6:30 AM, SIFD responded to a smoke alarm in a Center meeting room and determined a malfunctioning basement air handler was the cause. An officer responded to a report of an open door at a Longview residence and secured the door but could not reach the owner.
A Center caller requested a well-being check; an officer spoke with the person and found no problems.
Monday, November 29
SIEMS transported an aided case to SB/ELIH for medical attention. A Hay Beach resident called police to say he couldn’t find paddleboards that he’d been keeping in a public storage area. He’d last seen them in October. A Bay Constable said the boards may have floated away during exceptionally high tides in storms earlier in the season.
An officer spoke with a claimant about a prior work-related injury. At the Shelter Island School, 5th and 6th graders took part in DARE lessons. A caller reported a dog at large in the Center; an ACO contacted the owner to take the dog back home.
To learn more about the Shelter Island Police Department, visit its website, shelterislandtown.us/shelter-island-police-department. To report an emergency, dial 911 and provide details to the dispatcher. For non-emergency calls, reach SIPD directly at 631-749-0600. Send mail to PO Box 1056, Shelter Island NY 11964.
If you wish to register a compliment or complaint about the SIPD or one of its officers, you can find the complaint policy here and the compliment/complaint form in English at this link. While you may file a compliment or complaint anonymously, doing so means you lose the opportunity to be contacted for more information or to learn of actions taken related to your compliment or complaint. You may also submit compliments/complaints to a member of the Town Board; they serve as Shelter Island’s Police Commissioners. Report complaints of a criminal nature to the Town Attorney (631-749-0027) or the Suffolk County District Attorney (631-853-4161).
Si desea registrar un cumplido o una queja sobre el SIPD o uno de sus funcionarios, puede encontrar la política de quejas aquí y el formulario para cumplidos/quejas en español en este enlace. Si bien puede presentar un cumplido o una queja de forma anónima, hacerlo significa que pierde la oportunidad de ser contactado para obtener más información o conocer las acciones tomadas relacionadas con su cumplido o queja. Los cumplidos/quejas también se pueden enviar a los miembros de la Junta del Pueblo, quienes sirven como Comisionados de Policía de Shelter Island. Las quejas de naturaleza penal pueden presentarse al Fiscal Municipal (631-749-0027) o al Fiscal de Distrito del Condado de Suffolk (631-853-4161).
