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Crime & Safety

Cops Launch BWI Awareness Campaign

Police seek to cut down on boating accidents.

County police officials hold vivid memories of the October 2009 boating accident off of Seaford that killed three victims and injured four others.

Alcohol was believed to have played a role in the fatal Oct. 4, 2009 accident when the operator of a powerboat crashed at a high rate of speed into marshland, killing himself, his wife and a friend while leaving four passengers critically injured, officials said.

The Nassau County Police Department’s Marine Bureau has stepped up enforcement and launched an awareness campaign about the dangers of boating while intoxicated (BWI).

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Thus far in 2011, police arrested four suspects, including two on the July 4 weekend, for operating a boat while they were drunk, said Lt. Kevin Smith, a Nassau County Police Department spokesman.

Last year, there were a total of five BWI arrests and four in 2009, Smith said.

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Just as in a DWI case, anyone with .08 percent blood-alcohol content is considered BWI.

BWI is responsible for nearly 34 percent of fatal boating accidents. If an officer observes a boat being operated erratically, the officer will stop the vessel and administer a series of field sobriety tests or a chemical test. The penalty for a BWI conviction is the same as in a DWI case, and may include jail time and excessive fines, police said.

As a strong deterrent, Smith said the Marine Bureau has a patrol boat strictly dedicated to enforcement of the BWI laws and the side of the vessel is clearly marked. The police boat is on patrol in county waters, including Marina, Seaford Harbor and the Inlet in Wantagh. The Marine Bureau patrols the county’s 225 square miles of waterways.

“People know we’re out there, and with the BWI enforcement boat, we’re sending a clear message that we’re out there,” Smith said. “The word should be getting out.”

He added that when the Marine Bureau makes a BWI arrest, those officers hand the suspect over to the local precincts’ officers to process the charges so that they could return to patrol the water.

In addition to observing a boat being operated erratically, Marine Bureau officers may pull over a boat for safety checks, and at that point, officers can also observe if alcohol was being consumed, Smith said.

“You will have many people complying with the law, but you will get a couple of people out there who are knuckleheads and make the decision to drink while operating a boat,” Smith said. “We want to make sure the water is safe for everyone.”

The Marine Bureau shares patrol of local waters with the Bay Constable and the Coast Guard so there is enough law enforcement to provide adequate coverage, Smith said.

The county police department has also used a helicopter to help patrol the water, alerting the Marine Bureau to boats being operated at excessive speeds.

“We use these helicopters to spot them and then pull them over,” said Smith. “Whenever you find a boat speeding, you may also find that alcohol is involved.”

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