PALM BEACH COUNTY, FL — Notable weekly activity as reported by FWC patrolling areas in Palm Beach County.
Mutton Crime
Lieutenant Brodbeck promptly responded to a request for help on New Year’s Day from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office regarding illegal fishing near the town of South Palm Beach. Upon arrival, a PBSO deputy had already detained an individual who was in possession of a cooler containing two undersized mutton snapper, which were speared. When Lieutenant Brodbeck asked the person about their fishing license, they mentioned that it was in their apartment across the street. Accompanied by Lieutenant Brodbeck, they headed to the apartment where another undersized mutton snapper was discovered. It turned out that this person had previous violations related to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation (FWC) regulations. Consequently, a resource citation was issued for this violation.
Levee Poachers
Officer Harris was patrolling along S.R. 80 and the L8 levee when he came across two vehicles that were not authorized to access the levee area. Upon contacting the driver of the second vehicle, Officer Harris found out that their driver’s license was suspended and there was an order to seize their vehicle. Additionally, Officer Harris noticed a bucket in the open air bed of the vehicle containing 13 black bass, four bluegill, one redear sunfish and a cast net. None of these fish showed any visible signs of being caught with hooks.
Both drivers received citations to appear in court for using vehicles without authorization on lands owned by the South Florida Water Management District. Additionally, they were cited for exceeding the bag limit of black bass and possessing freshwater fish that were caught using illegal methods. The license of the second driver was confiscated and their vehicle was towed away.
