Criminals not welcome in Manly Boat Harbour

[whichway]

Hi

Noted the water police out in force at Manly this afternoon.

As well as two officers in the rubber ducky centre console, there was a base station where the officef had a four wheel drive, note book PC, video camera, speed gun and various communications equipment.

The police seemed to be checking power boaties for safety gear, although at one stage an officer approached a large yatch for flying a small red protest flag - it may have been a restricted flag. The master of the yatch must have been a lawyer, he just seemed to ignore the police enquiries after a very short exchange.

Apart from this incident, yatchies must be a more law abiding lot than power boat owners - the police seemed to be much more interested in checking the power boats than the yatchs.

The land based officer seemed to be ensuring that boats were not exceeding the six knot speed limit using the speed gun.

I will sleep better tonight knowing that there are no criminal types flouting the appropriate safety gear regulations sulking about in Manly Boat Harbour. I'm sure that all you readers from the deep north can understand that this is a far better use of taxpayers funds, compared to arresting boatloads of foreign poachers making a serious dent in the northern fish stocks.

Whichway

[Lone_Wolf]

Too true, however it is important to police local marine safety as well. I think the poachers issue may well be a federal issue moreso.

[Angla]

Probably some yachtie with pull complained about a power boat going more than the regulated 6 knotts.

Angla

[gawby]

Ita funny how different posts on here have comments about speeding boats, jet skies and what not and now the law is out there doing their job they are getting knocked for it. Which way do you want it.
Graeme

PS: The world is never fair.

[Maryanne]

How many idiots are there on the water that don't carry the correct safety gear and disregard all boating laws??
People die because of these idiots. There aren't a lot of second chances if you crash your boat and have no safety gear.

It really doesn't worry me where the police are checking. If you are obeying the laws you have no issue.

There are police for every region in Australia so the ones down here checking boaties don't have anything to do with foreigners poaching up north.

I know we all get annoyed when the police pick us up for something, hold us up, whatever. But put it into perspective. If them holding you up for 5 minutes saves just one life then, really, is there an issue??

[Poseidon]

Always great to see the police, water or land out doing their job. I would rather see them using the 'Taxpayers' money in the ways that you describe than sitting in the office waiting for the phone to ring.

Regards Cameron.

[straddie]

Coppers and fisheries just can't win can they, damned if they do and damned if they don't The whispers I heard suggested they were keen to have some boaties blow in the bag.

Should be more of it.

[rough_shag]

Hey Maryanne,I agree with most of your comments on this issue but not the 'if you are obeying laws you have no issues' part.It is well documented that police make mistakes on a fairly regular basis and have even been caught using faulty/uncalibrated equipment resulting in innocent motorists/boaties being fined for something which they are innocent of.
If you've ever been fined for exceeding the speed limit by 7kmh only to have the police car then speed past you down the road doing 30kmh over the limit on their way back to the station (for knock off?)then you'll know why people are pretty sceptical when it comes to police motives.By the way the accuracy of police speed guns would be better than a boaties guestimate of 6kts wouldn't it?
The police are a necessary part of any civilised society but they are just as flawed as the rest of us only they weild considerable power.Some US police have the motto' to serve and protect' and I think sometimes we should have that motto here but it should read-'to serve our own interests and protect govt coffers'.
Eternally cynical,Jace.

[Boz]

There is obviously a lot of contraversy surrounding this issue but the reality is if the police don't do their job then who will.

[SeaHunt]

I guess they have two jobs , one is stopping criminal activity, the other is raising revenue.
When we are victims of the latter we tend to complain.

And when they pull you up by coming across your bow while you are trollling 4 lures and then leave you with a giant tangled mess to sort out doesn't endear them to you either.

[Skipsta]

What revenue raising? It is just so convenient to blame others for our own wrongdoings. It's always someone else's fault, not ours.

"Yeah I was speeding, but those police are just revenue raisers."

"I don't have the right safety gear on board, those damn revenue raising police wrote me a ticket."

"Those revenue raising bastards caught me using my mobile phone while driving today"

See the pattern?

[fishingnottake]

What revenue raising? It is just so convenient to blame others for our own wrongdoings. It's always someone else's fault, not ours.

"Yeah I was speeding, but those police are just revenue raisers."

"I don't have the right safety gear on board, those damn revenue raising police wrote me a ticket."

"Those revenue raising bastards caught me using my mobile phone while driving today"

See the pattern?

yeah those damn revenue raising crooks took three bites of the cherry

[JB]

Thats ok , i rekon the police are better checking boaties speed in the harbour rather than catching the scum that steal boat trailers and winch handles etc etc Oh thats right, the cops dont get money for catching them out oops how silly of me to think they would bother with that.

[SeaHunt]

What revenue raising? It is just so convenient to blame others for our own wrongdoings. It's always someone else's fault, not ours.

"Yeah I was speeding, but those police are just revenue raisers."

"I don't have the right safety gear on board, those damn revenue raising police wrote me a ticket."

"Those revenue raising bastards caught me using my mobile phone while driving today"

See the pattern?

NO, I don't.

When you are booked for going 70 in a 60 zone in the middle of the night on a wide 2 lane straight stretch of road, with no houses, side streets or cars within co-ee , that is revenue raising.
As I said to the cop "Mate, I am sure you saved someones life".
They dont set up radars where it is dangerous to speed. They set them up where they are likely to catch people, ie where people still feel safe a bit over the limit.
Cops have budgets and targets to meet with the number of bookings they make. So they are not soley motivated by saving lives and safety.

[James_Rand]

Whichway,

Up here in Brissie, about 8 months ago, I'd just bought my little 4.00m tinny and being all excited, used the boat just about every day after work for 2 weeks straight! No s--t, every day I launched, the water police would pick me up everytime within 100m of the ramp!

In the end, they knew me by name! Only doing safety inspections/licence checks etc but after I'd been pulled up the the sixth time!, I asked what I was doing wrong to arouse such suspicion! Apparantly, there were trawlers bringing in drugs from deep sea to the Brisbane river mouth, then transferring them to small tinnies manned by 1 bloke with fishing gear onboard to throw the cops. They would then deliver the drugs to Colmslie ramp for vehicle transfer! Whenever I got pulled up, they would search the boat from top to bottom searching for drugs!

I always wondered why they picked me up when leaving the ramp and not on my return!

They also tried to book me for not complying with the 6 knots speed limit at the new development just down river from the Gateway bridge. At the time, there was no signage. I told them I had no clue about the speed limit, they then told me it was on a TV fishing program once and I should have seen it!

I disagreed with their opinion and they let me off 'but just this once'.
I suppose their only doing their job, but after being 'apprehended' half a dozen times, it does start to wear a bit thin!

Just my thoughts! Sorry for waffling on!

jr/