State Law Enforcement News

Incidents of piracy and attacks on merchant vessels in waters of the Gulf of Guinea are endemic. There are multiple factors at play, including but not limited to: poverty, limited government presence in coastal communities, minimal maritime law enforcement capability among coastal states, and corruption. Some foreign nations, primarily European, conduct patrols outside the 12 nautical mile territorial seas, but far too few to make a significant dent in the problem, and with no authority to operate closer to shore…

Many government agencies and public safety dive teams are adding underwater search equipment to help make their operations easier, safer, and faster. Maricopa Sheriffs Department in Arizona, Downe Township Fire Rescue in New Jersey, the Fairhaven Massachusetts Harbor Master and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division are a few of the diverse group of agencies using metal detectors, video cameras and sonars in their underwater search operations. Deputy Jeff Hanson, leader of the Maricopa County Sheriffs Department dive team…

Foreign Demand For U.S. Military And Commercial Vessels Is Brisk; For Now. In the heavy shadow of possible sequestration-induced federal budget cuts, some U.S. companies are busy supplying vessels to overseas customers under the Navy’s Foreign Military Sales program and through private contracts to foreign government and firms. Demand for offshore oil vessels is strong. A big chunk of overseas business now is under the U.S. FMS, transferring defense equipment, services and training to other nations. Countries approved for the FMS pay for vessels themselves and/or with U.S. government help.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano and U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham announced an agreement between DHS and the state of S.C. to use $800,000 in fiscal year 2009 homeland security grant funds to support state and local law enforcement personnel stationed at SeaHawk, a U.S. Coast Guard-led security initiative operating at the Port of Charleston. "SeaHawk represents a critical partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement partners to share information and coordinate response." said Secretary Napolitano. "Today's announcement will enhance our capabilities to deter terrorists and other criminals. "Today's announcement was very good news for the people of Charleston and South Carolina as a whole," said Senator Graham.

The Coast Guard captain of the port at Sector Upper Mississippi has closed the portions of the Illinois River due to high water levels Tuesday, Sept., 23, 2008. The Illinois River is closed to recreational vessel traffic near Montezuma, Ill., from mile marker 50 to 199. The Illinois River is also closed to all recreational and commercial vessel traffic from mile marker 136 to 138 near Copperas Creek, Ill. The Mississippi River has reopened to all recreational traffic from Chester, Mo., from mile marker 109.9 to 185.4. Local and state law enforcement agencies are authorized to enforce all of the above zones that are restricted to recreational and commercial vessel traffic.

Even before the events of 9/11, the patrol boat market for the Navy, Coast Guard and individual state law enforcement departments was very active. For example, in the 1980's Bollinger built 49 Island Class Patrol boats and 10 years later built 50 smaller patrol vessels also for the Coast Guard. These assets were immediately deployable to counter terrorism threats after 9/11. But with the entire nation on alert, it was obvious that the more sets of eyes and ears we could put on our 95,000 mile coast line the more secure we would be. In the last two years, hundreds of smaller patrol boats have been built specifically to increase security around ports and other facilities across the nation. The Navy has been very active ordering vessels to patrol Navy bases and other military installations.

The Coast Guard and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts today announced the signing of a new partnership agreement that will help the Coast Guard and Massachusetts state law enforcement officers work together more effectively to ensure the safety and security of the Commonwealth's waters. Under the terms of the agreement, approved last week by Rear Admiral Timothy Sullivan and Governor Mitt Romney, Massachusetts State Police and Environmental Police officers working with the Coast Guard have the authority to take enforcement actions against those suspected of violating federal safety and security zones created by the Coast Guard. The agreement…

The Coast Guard is currently responding along with local and state partners, to a downed Chalks Airline Grumman G73 airplane, which was reported carrying 20 people including two crewmen and three children. At this time 19 deceased have been recovered. No survivors have been located. The Coast Guard received a report of the downed aircraft at approximately 2:30 p.m. today from the Biscayne Pilots and numerous 911 dispatch calls. The Coast Guard immediately dispatched 27-foot and 41-foot rescue boat crews to the scene. An HH-65 rescue helicopter crew from Air Station Miami and the Coast Guard Cutter Sitkinak are also on scene with numerous local and state law enforcement and rescue agencies.

Florida's deep-sea ports are about to get a security makeover aimed at slowing the flow of illegal drugs into the U.S., Florida Gov. Jeb Bush said. A bill passed in the waning hours of the state legislative session is expected to earmark more than $30 million for port security enhancement in the next three years as part of an effort that officials say is needed to stem the tide of drugs entering the United States through Florida ports. Bush said the seaport security measure would come on top of existing programs to halt the offloading of illegal drugs from freighters on the Miami River and to divert out to sea smaller cargoes carried in speedier vessels.