Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department Boat Patrol
Officers will keep the county on the water Wednesday’s through Sundays during the summer season.
CPL. MATTHEW PURVIS, HCSO MARINE PATROL "Do you have life-jackets for everybody ..I see the little girl’s got one on. Does everybody have one. "
This boater and his family were doing everything right. They had life jackets, registration papers, and a fire extinguisher—not everybody stopped by the Sheriff’s department Marine Patrol does.
The county’s boat is rigged-up to do anything necessary on water, including radar and depth probing devices.
The unit was founded in 2008 and updated last year.
CPL. MATTHEW PURVIS, HCSO MARINE PATROL "We are commissioned through TWRA. We go through a training class every year. An additional training class for our normal duties…that allows us to enforce boating safety laws out here."
The Sheriff’s Marine Patrol works hand in hand with the TWRA.
CPL. MATTHEW PURVIS "We’ve had shootings on the water…we’ve had drownings…basically everything that happens on land we;ve had out here. Alcohol is the biggest issue we have."
There art 8 deputies and several reserve officers assigned to the marine patrol.
The boat is out every weekend, and sometimes from Wednesday through Sunday.
They are trying to get the safety message to all boat owners and those they are transportating.
CPL.MATTHEW PURVIS "Anybody born after January 1st, 1989…has to take,whether being is a class or on-line, a Tennessee boater safety class."
So, this weekend, you’ll have a little extra company as you enjoy a holiday on the water.
The boat and equipment were purchased through a series of grants and did not cost Hamilton county taxpayers a cent.
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