Hamptons Police Submarine Unit Reports Successful Pilot Season
Well the unofficial end of summer has passed, and wouldn’t you know, perhaps one of the more eclectic stories of the season has been deemed a success.
The Hamptons Police Department announced this week that the inaugural seasonal patrols by its military-surplus Virginia-class submarine were a resounding success.
According the Hamptons Police department “Incidents of BWI [boating while intoxicated] are down more than 30 percent and the number of surprise boater safety inspections was up 400 percent, resulting in greater compliance with life-saving laws and regulations.
While the acquisition of a former U.S. Navy submarine came under harsh criticism by fiscal watchdogs and groups opposed to the militarization of police departments, the HPD says the results demonstrate the submarine is worth the expense.
While the vessel, itself, was compliments of the federal government, the staffing and maintenance are the responsibility of the local municipality—and Hamptons taxpayers.
On the day after Labor Day, known by locals as “Tumbleweed Tuesday,” the police department began the process to dry-dock the submarine, dubbed Jaws VIII, for the off-season. The sub will return to the water no later than Memorial Day 2016 for another summer of marine patrols.
Jaws VIII‘s effectiveness in keeping the Hamptons safe is unparalleled and could not be accomplished by any boat or ship. And not only is the submarine a deterrent to criminals, he added, it is also a tourist attraction. Many Hamptons visitors this summer called the police department ahead of weekends to find out when and where they could see the submarine.
Many boaters learned that lesson the hard way this summer. The Hamptons Police Department Submarine Unit (HPDSU) made its first arrest June 7, busting an overcrowded pleasure boat off Montauk Point. The carousing boaters were hit with a bevy of charges, including boating under the influence, indecent exposure, harassment and possession of controlled substances, along with several boating violations, such as failure to carry required safety equipment, reckless operation and failure to display validation sticker.
thanks to Dan's Paper for the information