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Gulfport readies its first police boat
By CHRISTINA JEWETT
© St. Petersburg Times, GULFPORT -- The Police Department has paid nearly $29,000 for its first boat, which will be used about 20 hours per week, especially on weekends and during peak boating times. The 21-foot craft will be docked at the Gulfport Municipal Marina. It is being equipped with radios, a depth finder and a global positioning system before heading out with Officer Richard Lehr at the helm. He has undergone training and will ride along with the Pinellas County sheriff before starting his marine shifts. Until now, the Gulfport police have had to ask for help during Fourth of July and Labor Day fireworks displays at the city pier. "The county sheriff and Marine Patrol have always supported us in the past," Chief Curt Willocks said. "But if they have another emergency, they have to go." The chief sees other value in the patrol boat. "Being on the bay is an area of concern environmentally and from the standpoint that our beaches are becoming more and more popular," he said. Environmental concerns pertain to fish, plants and other wildlife. Size and season restrictions will be enforced for hunting and fishing, and motor regulations will be enforced in Clam Bayou. The police patrol will also ask boaters to avoid sea grass. Emergencies are no rarity among the 52,000 vessels in waters bordering Pinellas County. In 2000, five fatalities and 69 accidents were reported. The county ranks fifth in terms of Florida marine accidents. The St. Petersburg Police Department supports three boats and two personal watercraft. St. Pete Beach uses one full-time boat and one personal watercraft for special events, and Treasure Island has two police boats. The Gulfport police boat will patrol water extending halfway into Boca Ciega Bay. The state Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission patrols water extending 9 miles into the Gulf of Mexico. The commission, known as the Florida Marine Patrol before law enforcement and environmental units merged in 1999, employs 106 officers to navigate the gulf in 11 counties in the southwest region. "We are mainly charged with the task of monitoring the commercial fishing industry," said Lt. Ken Thompson. The Gulfport police vessel will wield all the power of the state commission, but the Gulfport boat can usually enforce the law only in city waters. The Coast Guard has a slightly different focus. "If you see buoys or markers, the Coast Guard maintains those," said Capt. Kevin Johnston of the state Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. "They have regular drug interdictions of boats coming into the U.S., and they do search and rescue." The Coast Guard in St. Petersburg assists local police in search and rescue and dispatches helicopters to hoist people from the water. But the Coast Guard depends on others when its ships reach shore. "We have arresting authority to bring people in, but we work with the locals on that," Coast Guard Petty Officer Harry Craft said. The Gulfport City Council approved the purchase of the $28,797 boat. The police chief said land patrols will not suffer when the boat is in the water.
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
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From the Times South Pinellas desks |
