Nokomis Vandalism? (Tampa, Sarasota, North Port: low income, renting, crime)

[Michael72]

We just moved to the area and are looking for a house - renting in what seemed like nice area west of trail in Nokomis - and today someone threw paint all over our car - ruined the windshield, etc.

Is there a rash of vandalism going on in Nokomis? We were originally looking to move to Sarasota, but having rented in Nokomis for a few weeks we were thinking of looking down here instead. But now, maybe not so much.

We were also a bit concerned when trying to report the incident to sherrif (middle of the day) to get a recording rather than a real person.

Anyway, sorry first post is negative & I'm probably venting a bit (while waiting and hoping sherrif calls back)- but I've been lurking on CD for a while and everyone here seems quite friendly and helpful, so maybe someone has some ideas about why an out of towners (car still has our old state's plates on it) would be attacked this way?

[SoFLGal]

I would say that's extremely unusual in the Nokomis area. The only part of Nokomis where I've heard any mischief happening is around the Laurel post office and for a few blocks around that area. Technically that is Laurel though.

Hopefully it all works out for you.

[Rushmore]

We were also a bit concerned when trying to report the incident to sherrif (middle of the day) to get a recording rather than a real person.

This could be a good sign, in a weird sort of way, that there is so little crime that they just hang a Gone Fishin' sign on the door and recommend 911 for emergencies and they'll just git back whenever they wander back from yonder.

Glass half full?

Nah, I'd be mad too.

[angelfish]

I have 2 seperate friends who live off Bayview Parkway (west of the trail) in Nokomis and while there are multi million dollar homes in that area, it is also speckled with low income properties. There has been burgluries of homes and car break-ins for years and years, but I have never heard of vandalism like what has happened to you.

[loves2read]

our daughter lives in Nokomis in Sorrento East
she parkes her car outside all the time because there are already two in the garage--"special" cars

and she has not had any problems in over a year...

[PixiStix]

Yes, there is lower end mixed in with the nicer stuff (like a lot of FL) Sorry it happened to you but it doesn't surprise me. Honestly, I would think it the work of some malicious teenage prank & you were the unfortunate random victim. I see rif raf wondering around here pretty regularly. As angelfish stated, Bayview is a prime example- on one side of the street is a 2 million dollar house & directly across the street is a house with peeling paint, boards/ blankets being used as curtains in the window & car parts in the lawn.

[Michael72]

Thanks all who replied - it ended up costing over 2k to get the paint off.

Yesterday down at the Nokomis jetty (the one at the end of Casey Key Road) - standing there looking a the water after sunset, car full of kids comes round screaming obsenities (and the N- word??) - and here I'm so white they don't make an SPF quite high enough.

Later saw different car driving down Albee hanging beer cans out the window and yelling. We're getting the feeling there is something pretty bad going on in Nokomis these days...

[Col.W.Deering]

Originally Posted by Michael72

Thanks all who replied - it ended up costing over 2k to get the paint off.

Yesterday down at the Nokomis jetty (the one at the end of Casey Key Road) - standing there looking a the water after sunset, car full of kids comes round screaming obsenities (and the N- word??) - and here I'm so white they don't make an SPF quite high enough.

Later saw different car driving down Albee hanging beer cans out the window and yelling. We're getting the feeling there is something pretty bad going on in Nokomis these days...

20-30 years ago Nokomis was pretty much nothing but orange groves east of 41. Many poor families of all colors worked in those fields as laborers, and continue to live there after all the groves have been bulldozed. So it's no surprise that there are plenty marginalized, fustrated teens acting like white trash.
In order to know that you are living in a "safe" area, you have to live behind a gate, either on the waterfront or in one of the gated communities. It's similar to North Port in a lot of ways.

[loves2read]

did you call the police and report either of the cars--
one was obviously breaking the law probably driving under the influence

in the first case the riders could have been charged with public nuisance, reckless driving, speeding--
pretty sure they were breaking couple of low-level laws

where are the police?
we see almost no police presence when we go to that part of FL--
much less than we have here at home--although it is more populated it is still a residential community...

[loves2read]

...Many poor families of all colors worked in those fields as laborers, and continue to live there after all the groves have been bulldozed. So it's no surprise that there are plenty marginalized, fustrated teens acting like white trash.

Those kids could be from any type of background--it is not just "poor" families who have troublemaking teens...they could be vacationing from back east or coming down from Tampa for some reason...

you are just speculating...