DWI boaters nowhere to be seen

By Matthew Penix
St. Tammany News
Published on Wednesday, July 16, 2008 10:13 AM CDT

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A two-agency crackdown on drunken Lake Pontchartrain boaters last weekend netted zero arrests, a positive sign the blitz worked, authorities said.

“I am thrilled to say we didn’t issue a single DWI,” Capt. George Bonnett, Sheriff’s Office spokesman said. “We consider (DWI crackdowns) successful when we don’t have any arrests, and we did that this weekend.”

The Sheriff’s Office water patrol division and the U.S. Wildlife and Fisheries launched the effort to change driver behavior and prevent accidents.

They each lent two extra patrol boats to the effort.

Many boaters told authorities they heard about the crackdown and “left the beer at home,” Bonnett said.

Thus far this year, the Sheriff’s Office water patrol division has worked 12 boating accidents, including one fatality and eight with injury. Through all of last year, 18 accidents occurred, eight with injury and one fatal, Bonnett said.

Meanwhile, another Sheriff’s Office DWI checkpoint on Louisiana Highway 22 in front of Fairview State Park netted eight arrests between 8 p.m. and 3 a.m., Bonnett said.

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