Hi!

This might parrot what others said, but in my opinon the more you can hound
wreckless jet-ski's the better. hehe And then of course wreckless boaters
in general.

OUI is important too, but use your head. A couple guys out in a rowboat with
a 5hp Jonnyrude, fishing, with a 12 pack in the cooler ain't the real big
problem, it's the speedboats with intoxicated operators that think they're
Mario Andretti. LOL.

Equipment checks are a good way to "bust balls" of someone you stopped for
operation. But to stop people *just* to do equipment checks is annoying as
all hell. There's enough strange operatoin out there to keep you busy.

And lastly, don't "become" the problem. There are a lot of narrower places
that just by inserting your boat in the middle - you *create* a no wake
area - this really ****es off people pulling skiiers and tubes etc. They
have have to drop of plane or get ticketed by Marine Patroll *because* of
the damn Marine Patroll boat. So...in narrow areas stay near the edges
please.

And as a personal favor. grin Older couples often don't have an extra
person to "spot" for the skiier.Yes, I know the law (in most states)
requires a spotter, but it's often just me and my wife. So I put a rearview
mirror on the boat and call the German shepard my spotter. A warning will do
just fine - as we're at least *trying* to get it right with the mirror.
Sometimes you just can't find a spotter without kidnapping someone - a worse
crime. Don't make me have to get a blow up doll.grin


-W







"swatcop" wrote in message
...
Looking for a little bit of direction here. I've been recently assigned to
my department's Marine Unit. I've been a cop for 15 years. I lived in NJ
at
the shore around boats most of my life, but never owned one. I rarely even
went out on boats except for fishing or waterskiing. I moved to Florida in
late 2000, and I'm still working as a cop (just in a nicer place). As a
result of some administrative changes in my department, I was assigned to
the Marine Unit. I've completed the necessary training and such, but one
thing is lacking: experience. I'll try to get to the point - I'm open for
comments and opinions. I know what the law says, and I know what my job
is,
but I try to use more common sense than what the law may actually say in
black & white. What do you (as boaters) feel the most important issues are
for the Police to deal with on the water? Would you like to see more
O.U.I.
enforcement? More vessel stops for no wake zone infractions? More safety
inspections? More after dark patrols of inlets, channels, and harbor
areas?
You tell me. I'm asking for your honest opinions here. As a rule I use
more
common sense than anything on the job. I treat people fairly, and as a
result I rarely ever have to appear in court. I would like to do the same
on
the water. Here's your chance to make a difference, because I will take
every opinion into consideration. Thanks for your help.