Mason County Sheriff's Office patrol boats in 'dismal' condition

[Dave]

I for the most part stayed out of the 'circus' related to the last election for sheriff. Regardless of the outcome of said election, you do have to wonder why the maintenance of the boats was apparently limited to the point that there is only one working boat.

MASON COUNTY, MI – The Mason County Sheriff’s Office is in dire need of upgrades to its patrol boats, according to a report by the Ludington Daily News.

Sheriff Kim Cole is proposing to a Mason County Board committee to buy three new patrol vehicles and repair three police patrol boats.

Cole told the board in a written statement that the “state of our patrol boats is dismal” and said he’s seeking funds to repair all three, the Daily News reported.

Cole said the only working boat is a 15-footer that is too small for service on big lakes, including Hamlin, Pere Marquette and Ford. Both engines in a larger boat are blown, Cole said, and need to be replaced, which would cost an estimated $26,190, the Daily News reported.

A 22-foot, ridged-hull inflatable boat that was used on Hamlin and other large lakes has a blown engine and an air leak in one chamber, and a 14-foot boat isn’t usable because the motor won’t lock down.

http://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/index.ssf/2013/03/report_mason_c...

[XLFD]

If the investigation into the Johnson fiasco and the Darius Vanbrook fatality are any indication of the MCSO's investigative ability, it wouldn't surprise me that they are in no way getting a good deal in their proposed purchases. 

Wry, entertaining coordination of current events, Aquaman.

 

[XLFD]

I'd like to rally the community to get the sheriff boat patrollers trained in how to maintain boat motors-- could save us all a lot of money in the future.  But the money has already been raised by the county to purchase three boat motors this year.