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Anacortes Police - Marine Patrol |
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The Anacortes Marine Patrol began in 1991 with the acquisition of the Police Vessel AquaBeat. The AquaBeat was purchased from funds raised from Vessel Registration enforcement. The Marine Patrol is overseen by a sergeant and consists of seven officers specially trained to handle the boat.
The AquaBeat has three main functions: rescue and/or recovery, agency assist and enforcement. Officers are not normally assigned a patrol shift on the boat, but use it primarily for specific functions or calls for service.
Anacortes Police will respond to calls for assistance from boaters, kayakers or anyone else on the water in distress. Usually we are called on to respond when the United States Coast Guard, U.S. Customs or Skagit County Sheriff’s Office response is too far away. This is usually a joint response with one APD Officer and one Skagit County Deputy as all waters deeper than 30 feet at low tide are considered county jurisdiction.
The AquaBeat can also be used to transport police or fire personnel to places that are easier reached from the water or emergency situations on other islands when ferry transport is not practical. These could include Secret Harbor School, the lower portion of Cap Sante Lookout or Guemes Island after the ferry has stopped running. Other government entities, including the City of Anacortes Engineering Department and Skagit County Department of Emergency Management also utilize the services of the AquaBeat.
For special events, such as the Waterfront Festival, 4th of July or the Samish Cultural Days Canoe Races, the AquaBeat is on patrol enforcing no-wake zones, speed restrictions, no-access areas and general safe boating enforcement. The AquaBeat is also used as the command post for on-water safety and security for the San Juan Challenge Kayak Race and is used to assist the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office during the annual Ski-to-Sea Race in Bellingham.
Being on an island, the AquaBeat gives us a greater ability to serve our community and assist surrounding agencies. It is truly an asset to our department.
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