Weekend patrols keep peace on water
Port Richey's three-member marine unit is a familiar sight for boaters on the Pithlachascotee River and nearby Gulf of Mexico.
By CAMILLE C. SPENCER
Published April 17, 2006
PORT RICHEY - From a distance, the old stilt house looks empty. So does the 14-foot boat floating in the water nearby.
Cpl. Mike Koch maneuvers his patrol craft toward the house in the afternoon sun, unsure if someone needs help or why the abandoned boat is motionless in the water.
Five minutes before, Koch passed another stilt house in the Gulf of Mexico, where a speeding power boat hit a moored boat, went airborne and crashed into the house April 2.
No one was hurt, but with that incident fresh in his mind, Koch proceeds with caution.
* * *
Koch, one of three members of the Port Richey Police Department's Marine Unit, is a familiar face for boaters in the Pithlachascotee River and Gulf of Mexico. They wave as he drives past, sometimes stopping boats for safety inspections or if it appears a child under 6 isn't wearing a life jacket.
Koch, 31, is a tall, lanky man with tinted glasses. He started as a dispatcher and has been with the Police Department since 1998.
He compares his dedication to police service to his favorite football player.
"I'm a little bit of a football fan and the Dallas Cowboys' Jay Novacek," he says. "He was a go-to guy. I guess it's self-fulfilling that when a need arises, I am capable."
Billy Cabiness and Pat Woodward make up the rest of the unit. With only 14 officers for the city of 3,000, the trio take turns on weekends performing double duty in the water and on land patrolling the streets.
Probable cause isn't needed to make a stop on the water, Koch says, and maritime violators are punished with tickets that come with a $55 fine.
"The big thing we look for are violations," Koch said. "We try not to be too hard. People try to come out and enjoy themselves."
On board his boat, Koch keeps binoculars, a navigation book, a handheld GPS unit and a jump box to start a stalled engine.
* * *
1:17 p.m.: Koch notices a man in a boat called Mild Cat at Mile Marker 30. He tells its owner, Billy Myers of New Port Richey, that he needs to perform a safety inspection.
"I'm gonna come right on your side there, partner," Koch says, turning left toward Myers' boat. "I gotta see your life jacket and other safety gear, like a visual distress signal and a sound producing device."
Myers, wearing a fisherman's hat, sunglasses, shorts and a T-shirt, gives Koch his boat registration.
1:25 p.m.: Koch hears from a police dispatcher that Myers has a clean record. Myers returns to the water.
"The hard part of doing stops is listening and talking to them and controlling the boat," Koch says. "I'm not one for general excuses, though. One thing that's zero tolerance for me is life jackets. There's no excuse for it."
1:44 p.m.: Koch gets close to the stilt house with the abandoned boat nearby. He sees a group of kids, their heads bobbing below the house as they snorkel.
"Slide over here, guys," Koch says to the three 17-year-olds.
The three make their way toward Koch, who asks them to meet him at their boat.
"Do we have life jackets?" Koch asks, as the 17-year-old boat operator hands over his registration. His name is Robert Berry.
They do, but it's about the only safety device they remembered to bring.
They don't have a sound-producing device, visual distress signals or a diver-down flag to alert boaters to stay 100 feet away because swimmers are in the water.
"Come on, Robert," Koch tells the teen. "You're killing me!"
1:50 p.m.: Koch calls dispatch to run Berry through the system. As he awaits a response, Koch quizzes the three as they sit in the boat in swim trunks.
"I knew we shouldn't have gone in," Berry begins.
"What do you think you should do?" Koch says.
"Go home," Berry says.
"And get an old bicycle mirror to signal to a boat," Koch advises.
1:53 p.m.: Dispatch calls Koch. He gives Berry a safety inspection warning, but not a ticket. Grateful, the teen tells Koch, "On a smaller boat, I wasn't sure what all you're supposed to have."
The three boys leave.
2:19 p.m.: Koch docks his boat at Durney Key. The secluded island was formed from dredging spoils, and Koch does foot patrol there. It's a common place for boaters seeking a serene place to camp out.
So common, Koch says, that he once had to order a man who had been living there full time off the island.
"He had a pretty nice setup, TV and all," Koch says.
2:20 p.m.: Koch heads back to the dock at Nick's Park.
As he anchors the boat at 3 p.m., Koch says after marine patrol, he might work a few hours on street patrol, or a full shift. Sometimes, Koch works 45- to 50-hour weeks. He's been out since noon, but in some ways, the day has just begun.