FWC Law Enforcement Report: Boating And Fishing Violation Reports

July 12, 2022

The Florida FWC Division of Law Enforcement reported the following recent activity:

ESCAMBIA COUNTY

Officer Burkhead was on patrol traveling on the highway when a vehicle appeared, ran a stop sign, and pulled out in front of him at a high rate of speed. Officer Burkhead initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle and found that the driver was operating a vehicle under a suspended license. He also found that the driver was on probation for felony driving while license suspended. Officer Burkhead placed the driver under arrest for the violations and transported the individual to the Escambia County Jail. He also wrote the driver a written warning for careless operation of a motor vehicle.

Officer Specialist Allgood and Officer Burkhead was on patrol at Big Lagoon State Park boat ramp, when the officers noticed a vessel violating the idle speed zone. They conducted a vessel stop to address the violation. While speaking with operator of the vessel, Officer Allgood noticed several signs of impairment. He conducted Standard Field Sobriety Tasks (SFST) and the operator was arrested for Boating Under the Influence (BUI). He was transported to the Escambia County Jail.

Officer Specialist J. Allgood was on patrol conducting resource and safety inspections at Mahogany Mills Boat ramp. He observed a vessel pull into the dock from fishing. He conducted a resource inspection and discovered an undersized gray triggerfish. Officer Specialist Allgood issued a resource citation for the illegal fish.

Officer Specialist J. Allgood was on patrol conducting resource inspections at Mahogany Mills Boat ramp. He observed a vessel pull into the dock from fishing. He conducted a resource inspection and discovered an undersized greater amberjack. Officer Specialist Allgood issued a resource citation for the illegal fish.

Officer E. Burkhead was on patrol conducting resource inspections at Navy Point Boat ramp. He observed a vessel occupied with four subjects pull into the dock from fishing. He conducted a resource inspection and discovered seven undersized gray triggerfish. He issued resource citations to each subject for possession of undersized gray triggerfish and warnings to three of the subjects for over the daily bag limit of gray triggerfish.

SANTA ROSA COUNTY

Officers Mullins and Corbin were on water patrol when they observed a sailboat in derelict condition. The vessel was washed on shore, stripped, and appeared abandoned. The registered owner was contacted and provided information of who the vessel was sold to. The current owner of the vessel was located and advised he had sold the vessel to another person but had no documentation to prove it and that person denied ever owning the vessel. After speaking with the owner of the vessel it was determined the vessel had no propulsion, the mast had been removed, the interior had been stripped, the deck was rotten and falling apart, and the owner failed to transfer the title. The subject also had a warrant for his arrest for grand theft. The owner of the vessel was arrested on the warrant and issued notice to appear citations for failure to transfer title and storing a derelict vessel on state waters.

Officers Bower, Allgood, and Burkhead conducted a local seafood inspection. Inside the freezer were stacks of different labeled boxes of bait to include shrimp and fish. During the inspection, the officers observed a trash bag on the ground which contained stingray. Next to it was a large swordfish tail and a cooler that contained a cubera snapper. The owner was not able to provide an invoice for the saltwater products and was issued a notice to appear citation for unlawfully selling, delivering, shipping, transporting, or possessing any saltwater products without having an invoice for the saltwater products.

Officers Bower and Corbin were conducting boating safety and resource inspections in the Santa Rosa Sound. The officers observed a vessel with no navigational lights displayed. The officers initiated the patrol vessels blue lights, a short while later the distracted operator noticed the blue lights and stopped. Throughout the stop the operator showed multiple signs of impairment. The operator refused to conduct Standard Field Sobriety Tasks (SFST) and refused to speak with the officers. Based on all the circumstances, the operator was arrested and charged with operating a vessel with normal faculties impaired and was also issued uniform boating citations for refusal to submit to breath test and for navigational lights not present or operational.

Officers Bower and Corbin were on patrol in Blackwater River when they observed a vessel being operated without a registration decal attached. A vessel stop was conducted, and the officers discovered the vessel had been acquired more than 30 days ago and the owner/operator of the vessel had failed to transfer the title/registration. Further, it was discovered that the vessel did not have a HIN number attached and the
registration numbers on the vessel did not return to the vessel. The operator had previously been stopped and warned for these violations. During the stop the operator did not have a lifejacket on board and there were several empty beer cans in the stern of the vessel. There was also a half empty case of beer matching the empty cans on board. The operator agreed to conduct Standard Field Sobriety Tasks (SFST) and was arrested and refused to provide a breath sample. The operator was charged with operating a vessel while normal faculties impaired, failure to transfer title, and operating a vessel on state waters with no HIN number attached. He was also issued citations for insufficient number of life jackets and refusal to submit to breath test.

Officer R. Bower and Officer N. Basford were on vessel patrol in the Santa Rosa Sound working the “Billy Bowlegs” detail. The officers passed by a man standing on the bow of his vessel pulling an anchor from the water. A few moments later the man was launched from his vessel and landed in the water. The captain of the vessel forcefully hit the throttle causing the man to go overboard, also causing the vessel to collide with other nearby vessels. During the investigation it was determined the operator of the vessel was under the influence and was placed under arrest.

Officer R. Bower was on patrol working a local “Fishing Rodeo” event. A charter vessel was observed dropping customers off at a dock. A resource inspection was conducted, and Officer Bower located Spanish mackerel not in whole condition, one undersized triggerfish and the boat was over the bag limit of triggerfish. The captain was cited accordingly for the violations.

Officer Bower and Officer Specialist Corbin were on patrol conducting boating safety and resource inspections in the Santa Rosa Sound. The officers observed a vessel with no navigational lights displayed pulling into the boat ramp. The officers watched as the operator had difficulty recovering his vessel from the water. The operator gave up and turned the vessel over to another occupant who had no trouble loading the vessel on the trailer. A vessel stop was conducted and during the stop the operator showed signs of impairment. Standard Field Sobriety Tasks (SFST) were utilized, and the operator was placed under arrest for Boating Under the Influence (BUI). The operator was charged with Boating Under the Influence with a breath alcohol level over .08 and issued a citation for insufficient number of life jackets. Warnings were issued for other violations.

Officers Mullins and Corbin were on patrol when they observed a sailboat in poor condition in Marquis Basin. Upon closer inspection of the vessel, the vessel did not have any propulsion (no motor or sail), the rigging for the mast was in poor condition, and the vessel had no steering. The vessel’s registration was expired since 2007 and
the vessel had no anchor light. Officers Bower and Corbin went to the registered owner of the sailboat residence. The owner of the sailboat confirmed the vessel had no propulsion and no steering. The owner stated he removed both from the sailboat years ago. We advised the owner of the violations, and he was issued a notice to appear citation for storing a derelict (substantially dismantled) vessel on state waters. The owner was also issued citations for expired registration over six months and no anchor light.

Officers Bower and Corbin were on patrol and conducted a seafood inspection at a seafood market. During the inspection the business provided the previous’ business retail license. The business had taken over the building in November of 2021 and failed to buy a retail license to sell saltwater products. During the inspection the business was also found not to have a wholesale license and they had invoices for saltwater products from a supplier who was also not a wholesale dealer. The manager of the business was issued a notice to appear citation for no retail license and warnings for no wholesale license and having invoices without a wholesale dealer’s number on them. The business was educated on the requirements and the supplier was also educated and purchased a wholesale license.

Comments

2 Responses to “FWC Law Enforcement Report: Boating And Fishing Violation Reports”

  1. SueB on July 13th, 2022 9:26 am

    KUDDOS to all Officers of the Florida FWC Division of Law Enforcement

  2. Jeff on July 12th, 2022 2:08 pm

    Keep them onest and Thanks for your work. Keep up the good work.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News