Beachside law enforcement officers recently got some new tools to keep the public safe – both by air and sea.
Indian Harbour Beach waterways just became safer as a larger, newer and more capable police boat has been put in service, for about half price, thanks to a grant from the Florida Inland Navigation District (FIND).
The Indian Harbour Beach City Council on Feb. 12 approved the purchase of a 2019 NauticStar public safety boat with a 150 hp Yamaha engine and trailer from Boaters Exchange in Rockledge.
The original grant approval for the boat was not to exceed $42,500. Indian Harbour Beach police worked with FIND to reduce the size of the vessel, thereby reducing the cost to have funds to upgrade the boat lift donated for police use in the gated Marina Isles subdivision.
The final project cost of the boat and repaired lift was $57,366, with FIND funding half, or $28,683.
The previous boat, a 2009 Triumph with 75 hp Yamaha engine, was sold for $6,800. The new 21-foot center console Nautic star has a wider beam and bigger engine, with both features making the boat “more practical for our waterways,’’ said Indian Harbour Beach Police Chief David Butler.
Indian Harbour Beach Police Sgt. Matt Jankowski successfully applied for the FIND grant which also allowed the boat dock repairs, Butler said.
“We’ve very proud we got a very good piece of equipment for about half price,” Butler said. Police lights and sirens were installed on the boat for about $1,000.
“We just wanted to get out there with a boat that we could do different things with, a patrol boat to patrol our waterways and canals on the weekends or when we have regattas,’’ Butler said.
The previous patrol boat had been used for rescues, and once for recovering a body, but with a capacity of one and a narrow beach, such operations were difficult, he said.
As first responders for water rescue, the Melbourne Beach Police Department must react quickly to calls of distressed swimmers, boats or unknown objects spotted at a distance in the water. Now they’ll have assistance from a $2,000 DJI Phantom 4 Drone.
“I have a bright and intelligent officer, John Tilesio, who brought this to my attention about using a drone for search and rescue in the ocean and to locate missing persons,” said Police Chief Melanie Griswold. “It’s the future, and we are taking advantage of tools that could save a life.”
As a boy, Tilesio loved anything radio-controlled – his favorite hobby was flying scale airplanes and helicopters. Now he leads his department’s new drone program, obtaining certification as a remote (drone) pilot through the FAA.
“I started building custom drones seven years ago and have had an interest in bringing them to the law enforcement spectrum for the past few years,” Tilesio said.
The drone will mainly be used for search-and-rescue purposes. A life vest drop device was installed on the belly of the aircraft. It will also be used to check for missing persons and check the waterways to verify if there is a distressed person or vessel.
“Time is of the essence and the drone will cover ground faster and more efficient,” Tilesio said. “I hope that more agencies will join in implementing drones in the near future for search and rescue.”
