Officer Frank Sierra explained:
“We try to target high traffic areas where we know perhaps there's a problem, or where people are transiting and there's a lot of drinking going on.
“If we pull you over and we speak to you and determine that you are intoxicated, you will be arrested.”
Breathalyzers were donated to Nassau and Suffolk police by Mothers Against Drunk Driving to assist officers in identifying boaters who had been consuming alcohol, according to Richard Rose, Long Island Bureau Chief for TV 10/55.
If boaters are stopped, officers will also be making sure that vessels have sufficient life jackets for all passengers, and that boats are not over-crowded. Speeding is also a factor that has caused an increase in marine patrols this summer.
In recent years, several children have been injured or killed in boating-related incidents that were caused by alcohol impairment, according to CBS New York. Local stores serving boaters or marinas may be interested in poster printing, reminding visitors that authorities consider boating while intoxicated to be every bit as dangerous as drink driving.