Carrera Elite
Libra
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Glendale,AZ
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1990 Carrera 23.5 Classic
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Posted: Nov. 19 2007,1:39 pm |
Post # 1 |
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New patrol boats earmarked for MCSO
By JIM SECKLER/The Daily News
KINGMAN - Mohave County law enforcement will soon upgrade its own fleet that patrols the county's waterways.
The sheriff's office has 15 patrol boats of which 10 boats patrol the Colorado River between Topock and Lake Havasu. Since the sheriff's office is now responsible for law enforcement at Davis Camp, one boat will be assigned to that county park in the spring. Another boat is assigned south of Bullhead City and three are assigned on Lake Mead at Meadview, Sheriff Tom Sheahan said.
The county supervisors accepted a $950,000 grant Monday through the Arizona State Parks using State Lake Improvement Funds to buy three new Boston Whaler patrol boats, a command/dive boat, trailers for the boats and refurbish two existing patrol boats for the sheriff's office. The new patrol boats are 24 and 27 feet long, Sheahan said.
The command/dive boat will replace an old pontoon boat used for specialized dives, search and rescue and body recovery. The three new patrols boats will replace used boats that have at least 10 years of service on the Colorado River and the lakes. Last year, the sheriff's office bought two new patrol boats. The sheriff's office boat commander evaluates the condition of the boats for replacement each year. The patrol boats cost about $160,000 each and the command boat will cost about $300,000.
Old boats that are replaced could be transferred to another law enforcement agency or auctioned off. Boats are evaluated for the number of hours on the water, the condition of the hull, its motors and other onboard equipment, Sheahan said.
Because of the upgrades in recent years, the sheriff does not expect any replacements for the next few years. All the boats are bought with state funding through either the SLIF state grants or the state's Law Enforcement and Boating Safety Fund grants.
Sheahan said the calls for service on the county's lakes and rivers, which includes crimes, accidents and arrests involving operating a boat under the influence, have doubled in the last 10 years. About 75 percent of the boating activity takes place between Topock and Lake Havasu. Mohave County has more than three times the boating use on its waters than Maricopa County.
The sheriff's office budget for its six deputies who patrol the waterways is about $700,000 a year including salary, training and overtime costs. LEBSF grants also pay for fuel, dive tanks and other equipment. Future boat equipment could include night vision and global positioning systems for rescues and body recoveries.
More than 40 boating safety officers also volunteer their time assisting deputies in operating patrol boats or in rescue dives or search and rescue, Sheahan said.
The sheriff's office also works with San Bernardino County, the National Park Service and Bullhead City in patrolling the Colorado River, Lake Mead, Lake Havasu and Lake Mohave.
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11-28-2024 Three Word Post.....The Next Generation.... (Rep.#19,436) from: GoFastRacer
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