Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
SYRACUSE -ÊLocal law enforcement officers have two new tools to make the lakes safer this summer.
Friday afternoon, the Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department held a presentation ceremony to welcome two new 2005 Sea-Doo GTX personal watercraft to the force for lake patrol duty.
Main Channel Marina of Syracuse, in cooperation with Bombardier Recreational Products, donated the watercraft to the Kosciusko County Lake Patrol. The seasonally donated boats are worth almost $10,000 each.
The fully operational patrol boats, equipped with police lights, police vehicle markings, police radios and other patrol vehicle equipment, will be used to patrol Syracuse Lake and Lake Wawasee.
"We have 12 volunteers who patrol the lakes in our area," said Kosciusko County Sheriff's Deputy Jon Tyler. "We have eight volunteers on Syracuse and Wawasee and four on the Tippy chain of lakes. (The personal watercraft) will give us more personal, one-on-one contact with boaters."
"All of our Lake Patrol Officers are volunteers. They are all trained and deputized," said Kosciusko County Sheriff Aaron Rovenstine. "We are not able to afford full time patrols on the lakes, so we couldn't do it without these volunteers."
The Sheriff's Department expects the new patrol personal watercraft to increase efficiency and its ability to patrol the lakes. This is the first time personal watercraft have been used to patrol local lakes.
The mission of the Kosciusko County Lake Patrol Program is to enforce laws on the lakes, promote safe boating, enforce boating regulations and laws, deter criminal activity, respond to emergencies in the water, and educate the public about safe boating practices. The mission is successful because of cooperation between the Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department and several local lake property owners associations.
Along with the two new personal watercraft, the Lake Patrol utilizes three Rinker boats, a Century center console boat and a Triumph center console boat.
Questions or comments regarding the Kosciusko County Lake Patrol program should be directed to Sheriff Rovenstine.
