The Hall County Sheriff’s Office will begin its summer boating patrols with a new boat on Friday, May 1.
HCSO said it purchased a 29-foot cabin rigid inflatable boat last year, which will now be used for the upcoming boating season. The boat was purchased using $280,000 in asset forfeiture funds, money seized from local criminal enterprise.
“With the growth of visitor traffic on Lanier, we knew a few years ago we needed a boat with advanced navigation technology and communications gear so we could optimize our lake patrols,” Capt. Michael Mount of HCSO’s Uniform Patrol Division, said. “Not only is this boat equipped with better technology, the cabin is climate controlled, allowing our deputies to work in all types of weather.”
The patrol deputies assigned to the unit collaborate with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, assisting with lake patrols, security at lakefront parks and enforcement of boating regulations, among other duties. Two HCSO deputies currently are assigned to the Marine Patrol Unit.
HCSO said the unit’s older boat, 2016 Sea Chaser 24 HFC Center Console Patrol Boat, will also be available as a backup for lake patrols. During busier times, such as Memorial Day and the Fourth of July, both boats will be on the water.
Lake patrols will continue through October.
