Five people searching for shark teeth on private property in south Sarasota County recently found themselves in handcuffs after entering a posted construction site in North Port, police said Sept. 15.
The North Port Police Department warned fossil hunters in a Sept. 15 Facebook post that digging or even walking around posted construction areas can result in felony trespassing charges.
Police did not identify the five people or name the construction site involved. The body camera video had a Sept. 10 timestamp.
The department said people are traveling from across Florida to search construction sites for shark teeth and other fossils, creating a growing problem for law enforcement and property owners.
“In the end it’s a posted construction site,”
the agency wrote in a comment responding to people who criticized the arrests.
Under Florida Statute 810.09, trespassing on a construction site can be charged as a third-degree felony when legally required notices are posted. Police said the North Port site had the required signs.
“We don’t get to pick and choose what laws we enforce and what we turn a blind eye to,” the department wrote. “This is simple. Don’t trespass on private property.”
Police also warned that active construction areas can contain large holes, water intrusion, unstable ground and heavy machinery, making them significantly more dangerous than beaches and other public fossil-hunting locations.
North Port and surrounding areas of Southwest Florida are known for fossilized shark teeth, which can be found along beaches and waterways without entering private property.
The department recommended several public destinations for fossil hunters, including Peace River, Caspersen Beach, Venice Beach, Manasota Key Beach, Nokomis Beach and North Jetty Beach.
“So go find your prehistoric treasures,” police wrote. “Just don’t trespass to do it.”
Wade Tatangelo is the executive editor of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and Florida dining and entertainment editor for the USA TODAY Network. Follow him on Facebook, Instagram, and X. He can be reached by email at wade.tatangelo@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism by subscribing.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Five shark-tooth hunters arrested at Sarasota County work site
