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ALEX LEARYThe vessel, courtesy of the Lake County Sheriff's Office, came as a pleasant surprise to the city's marine unit.
PORT RICHEY - The summer boating season has begun in earnest and with it will come the usual complaints about speeders and reports of stranded or lost boaters. The Port Richey Police Department says it is ready more than ever to respond.
This week, the department acquired a 24-foot former Navy harbor patrol boat that officials say will vastly improve search and rescue efforts, and boost the Police Department's visibility on the water.
"As far as law enforcement in Pasco County goes, nobody's got anything like it," said officer Bill Cabiness, a member of Port Richey's three-man marine unit.
And the boat was free: The vessel was passed on by the Lake County Sheriff's Office, which had acquired it through a federal surplus property program but no longer needed it. The boat was picked up Tuesday and will need to be repainted to reflect the new owner.
"It was a nice surprise we were able to get this," Chief Bill Sager said, crediting the work of Sgt. Dave Brown in finding and obtaining the boat. Sager estimated the boat's worth at $25,000.
"We could not have afforded this vessel in our "lean' budget times," Sager said in a June 10 thank-you letter to Lake County Sheriff Fred A.M. Cobb.
The steel hull boat, which came with a 26-foot trailer, has a hard cabin for use in inclement weather and a fairly new six-cylinder diesel engine. It has double the deck space of the city's two other boats, greater power and durability.
"This is made for serious law enforcement, military operation," Cabiness said. "We can take a full crew out and bring people back if we need to."
Of the Police Department's two other boats, the city will keep one and auction the other, Sager said.
The 17-foot Carolina Skiff, which does not have a lot of space for equipment needed for search and rescue operations, will be used only for shallow water patrols. The 20-foot Sea Pro, which also has limited capacity and is showing its age, will be sold at auction.