Powerboat Forums at SpeedWake banner

Our Local cops

5K views 96 replies 34 participants last post by  blackhawk 
#1 ·
so far twice this year the local water cops have set up a road block checking all boaters. This past Saturday they started at about 6pm with about 6-8 police, coast guard and even fire boats. They set up in a river that everyone entering the main Virginia Beach waterway. I passed by at around 5:30 and they didnt pull me over, I am always under control when boating, but give me a break! I dont know why they are doing this, there has not been a serious boating accident in our area for several years.

Is it this bad anywhere else?
 
#3 ·
I don't have much problem at all where I live in VA but I was visiting Lake Norman two summers ago and they set up a road block/boat check. I got pulled and had to take the sobriety check 3 times all within sight of each other. It was rediculous. They stopped a buddy of mine right behind me and proceded to run into the side of his new fountain, which got pretty ugly.
 
#5 ·
Easy answer

M O N E Y

DUIs are a huge cash cow for every department and until
someone steps forward and fights these stops as being illegal
noone will do anything because its politically incorrect..

Welcome to the new age of Big Brother..
 
#6 ·
Sounds like a big pain in the butt, however, I'll take a drinking check (I average maybe a beer every two months - bad stomach :laugher: :dead: ) over a speedlimit and ridicously low (82Db) noise limit.

Anyhow, I have a Helmet cam set-up and will use to prove major harrasment if it happens.

I have been pushed so freakin' far I am set up to fight back !
 
#7 ·
I haven't seen any extra police activity in my area.

Unfortunately people can't police themselves, that's why people are loosing their personal freedoms.

I predict that before long there will be a ban on night boating, at least in some areas. How many people need to run into chit at night before the "man" steps in?

As far as noise, here's my .02 I run open exhaust, no mufflers, baffles, etc. I will continue to do so until I am called on it. But, I don't really consider it to be my "right" to do so. There are alternatives, like thru-prop exhaust. You have people running 1000+ HP w/dry exhaust in a highly populated area. What if everybody drove around without mufflers on their car?
 
#9 ·
They are all over the Chickahominy here... Even undercover boats now (off duty pigs in their personal boats), they call in the other pigs and harrass people, even when on the anchor, and they don't even know what CG documentation is (STILL !!!), freakin idiots.

I would rather the CG pull me over to check me out I think. At least I know they can run a boat and keep from damaging mine...
 
#11 ·
I dont have anything to hide I just find it another infringement on my daily activites, I also find it uneccesary in our area. I am documented and have never been pulled over so our guys must be more used to CG documented boats.

I agree with noise laws, I dont have a problem with silent choice or mufflers being required in populated areas. I use my silent choice in the channels
 
#13 ·
Rock Steady said:
They are all over the Chickahominy here... Even undercover boats now (off duty pigs in their personal boats), they call in the other pigs and harrass people, even when on the anchor, and they don't even know what CG documentation is (STILL !!!), freakin idiots.

I hear and understand your frustration Rock... but come one..."Pigs"???
There are several cops, and ex cops on here that have done nothing to you and may or will take exception to that...they may not know you are a stand up nice guy...


I always subscribed to the theory, if you play by the rules, the rules wont ruin the day. I am not perfect... but I should know better...
 
#14 ·
This is a funny statement, when the police are visible... you complain. When the police aren't visible... you complain.

And, if you really needed THEIR help, we are just a phone call away.

-=Officer Borz. :winker:


Rock Steady said:
It bothers me!!! Because when you really need there help, none of them are anywhere to be found. :rolleyes:
 
#16 ·
I've not had a problem with the police not being around whenI want them to be and being around when I didnt want them to be.

You can't have your cake and eat it too......

I have never officially been boarded, but I have been stopped and safety checked by the CG and by local police. I do agree that the local police are not as fun to deal with, in fact they keep me off one of the local lakes because they pull me over just to harrass the big fast boat.

I still don't mind them doing mandatory stops, safety checks, boardings, etc.
 
#17 ·
ok ok, yeah I am a standup guy, but you guys on here probably are too... so I won't make those blanket statements anymore, I know there are always exceptions to the rule. But most in my area that I have met I personally DON"T like. And yes they do harass me and many of my friends, but we almost NEVER get tickets because I am not breaking any laws, but yet again they are always LOOKING for me too. It never happens. SO I have a rather bad taste in my mouth. Hope you understand. Its not a personal attack on all police officers, but I do have major problems with most. I think they are ***'s... Police enforcement rather than servants of the public is my opinion.

Its also my opinion that police in our area are out for the easy bust rather than the difficult one's, and they target people that way and I think yes it does have a lot to do with money collection/budgets, and I do feel like my rights are infringed upon all the time.. Sorry, and this is first had experience with them. Not a rumor.
 
#18 ·
jb said:
I hear and understand your frustration Rock... but come one..."Pigs"???
There are several cops, and ex cops on here that have done nothing to you and may or will take exception to that...they may not know you are a stand up nice guy...


I always subscribed to the theory, if you play by the rules, the rules wont ruin the day. I am not perfect... but I should know better...
Here's the problem; I know that I, along with probably 99% of members on this site, try to stay within the limits of the law. Now I'll allow that while we may not always be successful at it, we don't blatantly violate them. The problem is that when we do get pulled over, be it on land or water, it is often by some yahoo who has to wear his badge where a pen!$ would normally be. I have some very good friends in law enforcement and I've heard some of the stuff that goes on behind the scenes. Unfortunately, just as a few bad powerboaters give the rest of us a bad name, some 'pigs' reflect poorly on the rest of our public servants who take their job very seriously and willingly put up with way more caca than they get paid to.
 
#19 ·
apparently nobody that reply'd has a beer or two while boating, All the pictures and stories I see on SW must be the "other" boaters. Like I said, I have nothing to hide I just think road blocks are excessive. I am very repspectful to officers, one of my boating buddies is an officer (I usually follow him) ;)
 
#20 ·
Agree with that... Schnook...

Lets just say that I am in fact SOOO mad at the state police department as a whole in VA, that most of them would be pulling over a very irate individual, and I am Looking for ways to get them in trouble/fired. I would even consider following them around and documenting their behavior and they obvious and blatent disregard fo the very laws they swear to enforce/uphold... Its been a pissing match for me and them for YEARS because of the toys that I have... Cars Trucks, boats, you name it... and no this is not the run of the mill local cops that are in fact friends of mine and even family... Its the yahoo's that think they are god...
 
#21 ·
Rock Steady said:
ok ok, yeah I am a standup guy, but you guys on here probably are too... so I won't make those blanket statements anymore, I know there are always exceptions to the rule. But most in my area that I have met I personally DON"T like. And yes they do harass me and many of my friends, but we almost NEVER get tickets because I am not breaking any laws, but yet again they are always LOOKING for me too. It never happens. SO I have a rather bad taste in my mouth. Hope you understand. Its not a personal attack on all police officers, but I do have major problems with most. I think they are ***'s... Police enforcement rather than servants of the public is my opinion.

Its also my opinion that police in our area are out for the easy bust rather than the difficult one's, and they target people that way and I think yes it does have a lot to do with money collection/budgets, and I do feel like my rights are infringed upon all the time.. Sorry, and this is first had experience with them. Not a rumor.
Fair enough, thats exactly why my brother and I no longer frequent certain local lakes.
 
#22 ·
Yup, I hear you RS, they now have a big blitz on downtown for bicycles that aren't following the rules of the road...

I'd much rather see them do that then try to find the guy that has been molesting children in our South end parks here in Ottawa...

:rolleyes:

Not a big fan of cops myself and I have friends that are cops... Bastages.
 
#23 ·
some very passionate repsponses here for sure.

Not Right, I dont think anyone here is professing being perfect. I certainly dont.

I have watched two of my favorite boating places lose their luster because of the cops overenforcing. I do believe a few bad apples who protect and serve ruin it for many (as a few bad apple powerboaters ruin it for our sport).
One of our lakes (oneida Lake in the mid-late 90's)was never any safer than when the limited patrols that were out actually efforted getting to know many boaters. These guys had respect and got respect. One actually quit the detail when asked to do more ticket writing for no reason. Now its over policed most the time.

I dont mind the checks, but when they start blocking the only way in and out... thats a tough pill to swallow.
 
#24 ·
Agree with you there, I think the police officers that show respect and understanding will get a lot farther with the common folk than if they keep doing what they are doing. At this rate they are going to get them selves into some really ugly fights both legally and physically around here. ANd I am not one to shy away from somebody stepping on my toes when I am doing nothing wrong. ON the water this really hasn't happened to me, but on the road it has WAY to many times...

But you know I am a big law breaker since my windows are too dark... I must be doing something wrong huh? I ask them why from time to time... they say well your breaking the law... F-n stupid... let me have the ticket since my car is blue... :clown:
 
#25 ·

I would rather the CG pull me over to check me out I think. At least I know they can run a boat and keep from damaging mine... [/B]


Thanks! I appreciate that! My last ride in the Guard was 3,400 tons with 72,000 gas turbine horsepower! I had the conn going 32 knots up the Bosphorus Straits up to Istanbul meeting tankers and freighters headed south to the Med. Not a problem till we had to pass other freighters headed our way and still miss the others going down...good times!
Drove (I really hate that term) pretty much everything else on down to a 10 foot inflatable that we used for boardings in Gloucester Mass. off the 95 ft patrol boat.
 
#26 ·
Lots of patrol boats here..
were policed by...
Tonawanda Police
City of Tonawanda police
Erie county Sheriffs
Niagara county Sheriffs
Buffalo Police
New York State Troopers
Coast Guard
and I'm sure theres a few others I'm forgetting
you can count on being stopped a few times a summer
for the so called safety check.
 

Attachments

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top