Boat Approved For Marine Unit

Rockland County Legislators voted unanimously to back the purchase of a new boat for the Rockland County Sheriff’s Office for use by its patrol and emergency response Marine Unit.

Rockland County Legislature Planning & Public Works Chairman Joel Friedman said the new boat is replacing a 26-year old vessel that has been reconditioned two different times.

“The Sheriff’s Office needs this new boat because the current 1999 boat is well beyond its better days,” Legislator Friedman said. “It’s also important to understand that the Sheriff’s Office uses their boats not just for routine river patrols, such as taking impaired operators off the water, but also for emergency responses to plane crashes, capsizing, and other incidents. The department needs the right tools for the job no matter the emergency.”

The Marine Unit has two boats with enclosed cabins that can be used year round as long as the Hudson isn’t iced over, and a smaller boat without an enclosed cabin that can operate in shallow water. All of the boats have equipment that can be used for enforcement or search and rescue.

The department’s new boat is a 27-foot SAFE Boat, which will be purchased through Safe Boats International of Bremerton, WA. The cost, which includes training on operations and new technological equipment, is $575,000. The funding has been provided through the federal Department of Homeland Security’s 2024 FEMA Port Security grant, with the funds previously accepted by the County Legislature and Executive.

River patrol officers can be joined on their boats by divers, EMTs, firefighters, and other law enforcement in the course of responding to an array of emergencies. According to the Sheriff’s Office, in 2024, the Marine Unit responded to 525 incidents, including three drownings, 12 search and rescue efforts, 26 vessel in distress calls, 32 assists to other agencies, and 179 port/homeland security calls, to name just some of the incidents.

The Marine Unit patrols the County’s 33-mile water boundary from Bear Mountain to Palisades. It provides enforcement, safety, ecological and rescue services while interacting with all emergency services and environmental agencies. It provides security at the Bear Mountain and Gov. Mario Cuomo/Tappan Zee Bridges, in conjunction with the U.S. Coast Guard and the Governor’s Hudson River Estuary Law Enforcement Task Force.