Connecticut’s environmental cops, with help from their law enforcement peers, are cracking down this weekend on boaters who mistakenly think watercraft and alcohol are a fun mix.
The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s (DEEP) Environmental Conservation (EnCon) Police and partner enforcement agencies say that beginning Friday through Sunday, they are participating in “Operation Drywater’’ — a national crackdown on “boating under the influence (BUI).
Boaters can expect to see an increase in the numbers of officers on the water and at recreational boating checkpoints, DEEP’s EnCon Police Col. Kyle Overturf said in a statement.
The goal of all law enforcement involved, he said, is to remove impaired operators from the waterways and secure a safe and enjoyable boating experience for those on the water.
Statewide the past decade, alcohol has been a factor in more than four of every 10 of boating fatalities – 26 of the 61 fatalities tallied in the period, Overturf said.
The Connecticut State Police, Middletown police and the U.S. Coast Guard Station-New London are partnering with EnCon Police in the enforcement.
