FWC Law Enforcement 

Officers Johnson and Tidwell were patrolling Dollar Bay and observed a vessel without navigational lights on while boating at night. During the vessel stop, Officer Tidwell observed that the vessel did not have a hull identification number (HIN). The officers then proceeded to follow the vessel to Bayview Boat Ramp and Officer Tidwell noticed another mullet skiff at the dock. During an inspection of the skiff he discovered that it also did not have a HIN and after a closer look, he noticed that the motor’s serial numbers had been defaced/removed. Both vessels were seized as evidence for further investigation. There are pending charges for the individuals for operating the vessels without a HIN, title fraud and possession of an outboard motor with no serial numbers.

Several Collier County FWC Officers in conjunction with the Marine Unit from the Collier County Sheriff’s Office and the City of Naples Marine Unit, participated in a BUI Enforcement Flex Operation from Doctors Pass to Goodland. The Operation was a collaborative effort, and used 7 patrol vessels from the agencies and paired teams of boat operators with members. A large number of stops were conducted in high traffic areas in an effort to detect and deter impaired vessel operators and boating safety equipment issues. During the enforcement effort, several law enforcement personnel received positive feedback from the public confirming that law enforcement efforts in continued BUI enforcement are working countywide. There were a total of 55 stops (39 for violations and 16 for safety inspections), 6 Citations were issued, 27 Warnings were issued, and 1 Notice to Appear was issued for failure to transfer a title/registration.