they do deal with boating infractions and will right a summons .
In Maryland many maritime infractions including BWI (boating while intoxicated) are assessed against a person’s driver’s license.
same in NY i believe
I was thinking the coast guard was the enforcing authority on the water. My impression is they provided three phone numbers so you’ll have three chances to find somebody who cares. Wish you luck with this one
A warning flare bounced off the bow still seems to be the best option.
That go pro video was horrific. It reminded me of the recent incident iinvolving two kids in the stolen car who posted the video recording of running down a bicyclist.
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I now realize that the Coast Guard doesn’t get invoved in the enforcement of local laws. However, when I worked for the federal government, my managers issued an office policy about directing inquiries. Whenever someone called looking for information about policies, procedures, or regulations under the auspices of our office, we were required to either resolve the issue personally or find the specific phone number, as well as the job title and name of a person who would resolve the problem. Then a call first to ascertain whether that person could and would take responsibity for finding a solution to the problem
That policy on its face seemed to be a waste of office resources, but it wasn’t. As a tax payer funded civil servant, it is “your” responsibility to help the public. The policy accomplished several intended consequences.
Primarily, it encouraged us to treat the public with more respect, by viewing those seeking information more like a customer. The policy help us to network with coworkers and become more familiar with the office structure. Since we understood the office structure better than outsiders, we often directed the assistance toward coworkers we knew personally or who were otherwise most knowledgeable. The net result was improved efficiency, a more professional appearance and issues being resolve quickly with less frustration. I took it a step further by saying if they didn’t find satisfactory service to call me back, and I would get resolution.
For a Coast Guard representative to offer three phone numbers is not resolution, it sounds like a series of options as the previous number failed. If I had given out three numbers, I would have been reprimanded. Just a matter of perspective.
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But you don’t know what the three numbers were for or why. Could be marine police, environmental police, sheriff’s office, local jurisdiction. In many states there are overlapping or co-jurisdiction. One might be better suited or have better resources than another to investigating and pursuing but any of them are able to.
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Sure enough; however, I understand bureaurocracies and hope your optimistic view prevails, but you named four numbers. Did they provide more numbers than needed or one too few? Or just the right amount. My “guess” is that this isn’t an isolated incident, in which case, the USCG handles questions like this all the time. So the chain of responsibility has been hashed out, and the number for referal is on an index card on a desk pad under a plastic or glass protector to keep coffee stains from disfiguring the number.
All I’m suggesting is that a professional outfit would know who has jurisdiction and would answer a complaint with one option: the person answering the call would identify themself by name and suggest the caller contact Deputy Doe of the Sheriffs Department, on (xxx) xxx-xxxx, ext xxx, and report an incident of lunacy or reckless endangerment, by (referencing the evidence in the complaint). Then offer that "My experience with Deputy Doe is that the deputy is very responsive and helpful. If you have any problems getting through, call me back . . . "
That’s what I would expect from anyone that I supervised. PERIOD. That person would assign a case officer or liaison, or transfer the call to someone who would prepare a citation, escalate the complaint to the cognizant AG, Natural Resources Police, and anyone else involved. The caller is the victim and should only have to report the incident to one person, rather than push a complaint through bureaucrats, who drag the action through the system. The reality is that three phone number provides the perfect circle jerk of handies to diffuse responsibility. I probably expect too much from government.
Right on. But if there’s no competition (as with most public sector agencies), then there’s a lot of motivation to build a complicated bureaucracy (job security) and not much to focus on customer service.
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The USCG under the Department of the Interior has primary jurisdiction over what are defined as coastal waters and the Great Lakes. However, states and local jurisdictions also play a role. Inland waters as well as coastal waters are also policed by the states and local authorities, who often model their laws after the laws and regulations used by the USCG.
Many states and local jurisdictions delegate regulatory authority to a number of entities, including but not limited to local police, marine police, harbormasters, natural resources police, sheriff departments, etc. States and local authorities often have laws and regulations that go beyond what the USCG enforces including licensing requirements for various on-water related activities.
For the incident described there may be some question as to who has regulatory authority or who wants to take it. Lack of manpower or funding often leads to what cases a jurisdiction want to pursue, unfortunately. If someone had been injured, there was property damage, or the incident had been directly witnessed by a law enforcement officer, the incident might have been acted upon more quickly and easily.
I would hope you pursue this and let us know what happens. It might take some time to get results.
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In SC inland water enforcement is done by DNR aka game wardens. I haven’t seen one on the water in years.
My father had that authority and once in awhile would check for life jackets .
Similar to our Highway Patrol my impression is they are there to pick up the pieces .
Local police are the traffic enforcement.
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Actually, the USCG does have a role in inland waterway law enforcement. Besides coastal waters, ports and the Great Lakes, they patrol 96,000 miles of rivers. This is from from the MilitaryFamilies website:
Coast Guard operations on America’s rivers - Military Life - Military Families.
But I knew that already because I frequently paddle on our 3 local rivers that are part of the “industrial” navigable waterways of the Mississippi system which have a lot of commercial barge traffic and I often see the CG out on the water. in fact, 10 days ago, when we took off from the ramp on Pittsburgh’s South Side, across from downtown, the only other folks there on an early Wednesday morning were 4 handsome young Guardsmen launching a small USCG patrol boat.
They don’t deal with small lakes and smaller rivers, unless there is some kind of emergency, like to provide assistance (including rescue swimmers and helicopters) for situations like flood rescue or dam outfall entrapment. Oddly, it is the US Air Force who has inland on-water rescue primary responsibility, but CG resources will also respond to these emergencies.
And, the single exception to the Posse Comitatus statute, the USCG is the only branch of the US military that has the authority to enforce US Laws.
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That’s typical of most government jobs. It takes a determined management to convince many in the workforce that they have a customer base. There’s a value even for police to view a person charged with a crime as a customer. The job is to present evidence that proves beyond a reasonable doubt that the person arrested actually commited the crime. The job is to collect fact that implicate as well as exonerate. Job isnt over until the jury sings.
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Yes, nicely clarified. I’m standing by to hear resolution.
The complexity . . .
the CG couldn’t tell me who has jurisdiction.
I got stopped for safety check when at an air show in my boat. Got written up because fire extinguisher was borderline. Had to mail in receipt for new one to avoid fine. So they do enforcement.
See what happens Monday from calling around.
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I’m hoping you get justice Dog! Show us how it’s done.
As @Willowleaf stated the USCG does have jurisdiction over some of the larger inland waterways, specifically those of major importance for trade and commerce. Areas of jurisdiction are subject to change and I could not find a specific listing of these areas where the USCG has claimed or been ceded jurisdiction
§ 2.36 Navigable waters of the United States, navigable waters, and territorial waters.
(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, navigable waters of the United States, navigable waters, and territorial waters mean, except where Congress has designated them not to be navigable waters of the United States:
(1) Territorial seas of the United States;
(2) Internal waters of the United States that are subject to tidal influence; and
(3) Internal waters of the United States not subject to tidal influence that:
(i) Are or have been used, or are or have been susceptible for use, by themselves or in connection with other waters, as highways for substantial interstate or foreign commerce, notwithstanding natural or man-made obstructions that require portage, or
(ii) A governmental or non-governmental body, having expertise in waterway improvement, determines to be capable of improvement at a reasonable cost (a favorable balance between cost and need) to provide, by themselves or in connection with other waters, as highways for substantial interstate or foreign commerce.
(b) Navigable waters of the United States and navigable waters, as used in sections 311 and 312 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, as amended, 33 U.S.C. 1321 and 1322, mean:
(1) Navigable waters of the United States as defined in paragraph (a) of this section and all waters within the United States tributary thereto; and
(2) Other waters over which the Federal Government may exercise Constitutional authority.
I don’t get all the discussion over getting more than one number. I am always glad if I am giver more than just the one number that is always a busy signal.
Take what you get. Getting to be too much like work for me.
Jones Inlet CG station is less than two miles away 