Punta Gorda Police Department

06/01/2026

Please avoid the area of Shreve Street between W. Retta Esplanade and W. Marion Avenue by the Military Heritage Museum. There is a water main break along the roadway.

05/28/2026

🚤🌊 Boating Safety Reminder: Know Your Wake Zones 🌊🚤

The Punta Gorda Police Department continues to receive questions regarding speed zones on our local waterways. Understanding the difference between No Wake and Minimum Wake zones helps keep everyone safe while protecting our canals, shorelines, and marine environment.

🔹 Idle Speed / No Wake
Vessels must operate at the minimum speed required to maintain steerage and headway. Boats should produce no wake, and throttles should remain as low as possible while staying in gear.

⚠️ Idle Speed No Wake Zones are marked by official signage and are generally located in shallow areas not protected by seawalls.

🔹 Slow Speed / Minimum Wake
Vessels must be fully off-plane and completely settled in the water. If your bow is elevated, you are moving too fast.

📍 Slow Speed Minimum Wake Zones within the City of Punta Gorda include:
• Bass Inlet access channel
• Buckley’s Pass access channel
• Colony Point access channel
• Fishermen’s Village access channel
• Laishley Park Marina access channel
• Pompano Inlet access channel
• Ponce de Leon access channel
• Punta Gorda Boat Club access channel
• Punta Gorda Isles parallel channel
• Punta Gorda Marina access channel
• All canals within Burnt Store Isles and Punta Gorda Isles canal maintenance districts
• All other shorelines within city limits waterward to the six-foot depth contour

Please slow down, follow posted signage, and help protect our waterways for everyone to enjoy safely.

🎥 Watch the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission speed zone video here:

https://youtu.be/n2SauVAXyzU?si=MrTxmuDixrfZcOSW

05/27/2026

Just a reminder, the Click it or Ticket campaign runs through the end of May. Please Buckle up.

05/25/2026

Please join us today as we stop to remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, so that we may live free.

05/22/2026

Happy Birthday!
Our very own K9 Officer SpongeBob is celebrating his 3rd Birthday today. Little did he know, he shares the same birthday with Ashley Omelanski-Carney, the Executive Assistant to the City Manager. We wish you both a wonderful birthday today!

05/20/2026

A huge thank you to Mark Dumser of MD Pressure Cleaning for organizing an incredible fundraiser in support of our Police Department’s Special Response Team. When Mark learned of the department’s need for specialized equipment, he used his own time and money to organize the event.

Thanks to the overwhelming support from our community, a $17,985 check, payable to the City of Punta Gorda, was presented to Lt. Shane Chodakowsky to help fund the purchase of ballistic helmets, rifle-rated armor, and other essential equipment for our Special Response Team. The PGPD Special Response Team is a group of officers who respond to high-risk situations, including serving search warrants, apprehending violent offenders, and conducting storm-related high-water rescues.

We also want to extend a special thank you to unWINEd for hosting the event and helping make the evening such a success. Your hospitality and partnership truly helped bring our community together to raise these funds.

We are grateful for the continued support from local businesses and community members. Thank you all for making this event possible!

05/19/2026

***UPDATE****
Due to the potential for inclement weather, the location of the FOP Fallen Officer Memorial has changed. It will now be held at the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office Headquarters Building, located at 3110 Loveland Blvd, Port Charlotte.

***UPDATE****
Due to the potential for inclement weather, the location of the FOP Fallen Officer Memorial has changed. It will now be held at the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office Headquarters Building, located at 3110 Loveland Blvd, Port Charlotte.

Join us tonight, May 19th, at 6:00 pm for the Charlotte County Law Enforcement Memorial at the William R. Gaines, Jr. Memorial Park, located at 20499 Edgewater Drive in Port Charlotte, as we pay tribute to the fallen officers of Charlotte County.

05/19/2026

***UPDATE****
Due to the potential for inclement weather, the location of the FOP Fallen Officer Memorial has changed. It will now be held at the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office Headquarters Building, located at 3110 Loveland Blvd, Port Charlotte.

Join us tonight, May 19th, at 6:00 pm for the Charlotte County Law Enforcement Memorial at the William R. Gaines, Jr. Memorial Park, located at 20499 Edgewater Drive in Port Charlotte, as we pay tribute to the fallen officers of Charlotte County.

05/18/2026

This past weekend, PGPD officers responded to an animal complaint about a raccoon behaving strangely. Neighborhood kids were getting close and attempting to feed the raccoon when officers arrived on the scene. After some careful wrangling, the officers captured the raccoon using a citizen's dog cage. Please do not approach or attempt to feed wild animals, as they are often sick or injured when they exhibit unusual behavior, such as allowing people to get close to them.

05/18/2026

Beginning today, the Punta Gorda Police Department is once again participating in the "Click It or Ticket" campaign. “Click It or Ticket” is a national, high-visibility seat belt enforcement and public education initiative led by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The annual campaign runs May 18 through May 31 and deploys additional local and state police patrols to crack down on unbuckled drivers.

Buckle up, Punta Gorda!