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FWC Law Enforcement Report
October 17, 2016
The Florida FWC Division of Law Enforcement reported the following activity during the weekly period ending October 13 in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
ESCAMBIA COUNTY
Lieutenant Hahr was patrolling in the Escambia River Wildlife Management Area (WMA) at Cotton Lake campground when he observed a couple sharing a pipe as they smoked cannabis. Both were charged with possession of not more than 20 grams of cannabis and possession of drug paraphernalia.
While on board the Offshore Patrol Vessel Fincat, Officers Cushing, Pettey and Tolbert patrolled federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico over the weekend. They boarded numerous vessels and found violations for failure to allow inspection, possession of red snapper during closed season, possession of gray triggerfish during closed season, and no federal reef fish charter permit. The appropriate citations and warnings were issued.
SANTA ROSA COUNTY
Officers Jernigan and Lewis, alongside FWC biologists, worked a public outreach event at the Munson Heritage Festival. More than 2,000 people visited FWC’s booth. The officers discussed FWC-related topics with hundreds of visitors.
This report represents some events the FWC handled over the past week; however, it does not include all actions taken by the Division of Law Enforcement. Information provided by FWC.
Comments
4 Responses to “FWC Law Enforcement Report”
I appreciate FWC officers patrolling Federal waters. They’re deputized to report and witness violations in waters south of Florida. It was once reported to me that FWC officers had stopped a vessel that was in Federal waters south of Ft. Morgan. I’m not sure I can endorse that if it is true. The FWC is compensated by NOAA fisheries for this generous and sometimes risky job. They’re not doing it for nothing.
The below snippet of what a FWC Officer can do, does not explain why they spend so much time in federal waters.
Florida is plenty big enough for state officers to concentrate their efforts within the state only.
Re: DLo,
http://myfwc.com/about/inside-fwc/le/what-we-do/
FWC’s Division of Law Enforcement is responsible for protecting Florida’s natural resources, including fish, wildlife and the environment, while providing a safe atmosphere for residents and visitors to recreate. This is in keeping with the Division’s core missions.
FWC officers have full police powers and statewide jurisdiction. They patrol rural, wilderness and inshore and offshore areas and are often the sole law enforcement presence in many remote parts of the state. The Division of Law Enforcement has cooperative agreements with the National Marine Fisheries Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Officers are also cross-deputized to enforce federal marine fisheries and wildlife laws, thus ensuring state and federal consistency in resource-protection efforts.
I’d love to know why our state officers spend so much time and resource patrolling federal waters enforcing federal law, is that what the taxpayers of fFlorida are paying for?