PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — Boaters heading out on Tampa Bay for the Fourth of July weekend can expect to see plenty of FWC officers on the water.
With one of the busiest boating weekends of the year underway, FWC has increased patrols through Sunday as thousands of people take to the water for the holiday. This year, officers expect even heavier boat traffic as America’s 250th anniversary celebration creates a four-day holiday weekend.
FWC says nearly all of its officers are scheduled to work throughout the holiday weekend, including overnight patrols, to respond to emergencies and enforce the law.
Capt. Matt Dallarosa with FWC said the agency’s goal is to keep everyone safe while enforcing state boating laws.
“We want individuals to flag us down if they need something,” Dallarosa said. “Ultimately, if we see violations of state law, we will take action on that.”
FWC officers will be watching for excessive speed, especially around crowded sandbars and popular gathering spots. They will also be looking for impaired operators and making sure boats display the proper navigation lights after dark.
“We’re not looking to make arrests or write tickets,” Dallarosa said. “We just want to be there to make sure boating takes place in a safe manner and no one ends up seriously injured.”
The agency’s increased presence comes after a busy July 4th weekend last year, when FWC officers contacted nearly 30,000 boaters statewide and issued thousands of citations and warnings.
The increased enforcement also comes as more people than ever are getting out on the water through boat rental companies and membership clubs.
At Freedom Boat Club, Capt. Rolando Reyes said the holiday weekend is one of the company’s busiest of the year. He says reservations started filling up for July 4 a month out.
Over the past five months, the company has trained about 1,100 new members to become certified captains. Before every boat leaves the dock, staff members check that it is equipped with required safety gear, including enough life jackets for everyone on board, a VHF radio, electronic distress equipment and visual distress signals.
Reyes said he hopes both new and experienced boaters make safe choices during the holiday.
“We want to make sure everybody’s sober,” he said. “We want sober people behind the helm because if you get pulled over by law enforcement, you may get a BUI if you have been drinking.”
This will also be one of the busiest holiday weekends since Florida’s Boater Freedom Act took effect last year. The law generally prevents law enforcement officers from stopping or boarding recreational vessels without probable cause or a visible safety violation.