Crime & Safety
Sheriff's Department to Crack Down on Drunk Boating This Weekend
Deputies will conduct Boating Under the Influence (BUI) checkpoints on the water Friday through Sunday.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Marina del Rey station will conduct drunk boating checkpoints and up enforcement this weekend during the national Operation Dry Water campaign.
According to authorities, deputies will increase their precense in the marina from Friday until Sunday and will set up checkpoints looking for boaters under the influence of alcohol and drugs.
"This campaign is aimed at reducing the number of alcohol and drug-related accidents and fatalities," the department said in a statement. "It is the mission of the LASD Marine Unit to foster a stronger and more visible deterrent to alcohol and drug use on the water in an effort to educate boaters about boating under the influence."
Like driving a car, the legal blood alcohol level while operating a boat is .08. Penalties for boating under the influence include large fines, revocation of your boating license and jail time.
Along with enforcement in Marina del Rey, Operation Dry Water will agencies across the nation crack down on impaired boating. According to Operation Dry Water, 17 percent of all boating fatalities involve alcohol.
For more information visit Operation Dry Water's website.
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