The Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office is on its way to getting a private marine operations center to service boating emergencies and daily patrols.
Officers currently have to haul boats to the water on trailers every time they need to launch, which has proved time-consuming and inefficient, Sheriff Tony Mancuso said.
He said the Sheriff’s Office has wanted to build a facility for years but had trouble finding the right location.
The office received a grant several years ago to build a marine operations center outside of town on parish property. But the property was too far out, and officers had to return to square one, Mancuso said.
After looking into other locations, the Sheriff’s Office found an acre on Port of Lake Charles property that seemed perfect for the facility, Mancuso said.
On Monday, after about a year in talks, the Port Board authorized the port to enter into a lease agreement with the Sheriff’s Office for the waterside acre. Once the Sheriff’s Office secures funding, it can start to build the facility, Mancuso said.
The Sheriff’s Office is responsible for policing water within parish limits. Mancuso said the port location is centrally located and will allow officers to reach most areas quickly, with the exception of the far west side of the parish.
“We’ll be able to better respond with this location,” Mancuso said.
Port Board President Bill Rase said the facility would prove beneficial to both the port and the Sheriff’s Office. He said it will allow officers to keep their boats in the water at all times.
“They can get to the scene that they need to get to sooner,” Rase said. “And it gives us a little presence closer at hand.”
Mancuso said officers are on the water daily. Their activities include patrolling for boaters who are drinking and driving and responding to boater accidents or drownings.
from American Press: Your Best News And Advertising Source - Home http://ift.tt/2fdseDD
0 التعليقات:
Post a Comment