Watch your float trip antics....

[Tigerhaze]

I talked to a buddy of mine this weekend; he told me that he has to go to court in Steelville because a MO Water Patrol agent snuck up on him and his friends during a float trip a month or so on the Huzzah. He didn't say what the violation was other than it was a misdemeanor; knowing him it had something to do with barley beverages or maybe some nekkidness with the ladies.



He talked to his lawyer and apparently he said the judge down there won't plea bargain, so he is going to tell the judge how he sees the situation. That should be pretty interesting.



I noticed that the recent Niangua violations included a BWI and a DWI. I would be interested in knowing the story behind that. I guess I'm not suprised they saturated the Niangua, as supposedly it was G&L Pride weekend.

[Limbshot]

Dabs, where was your son this past weekend? I was on the Gasconade down at Gasconade Hills, and there was a scout troup there. Just curious as to if I saw little Dabs (I am assuming he is at least a little bit smaller than you) running around. I think the water patrol is doing a fine job, but if they are ticketing women for indecent exposure, that is just wrong!!! Well, depending on the woman I guess.

[Outdoorsfool]

Our esteemed WP staff are still on duty patrolling heavily traveled waterways to ensure safety for everyone. Thank the good Lord that Lake O doesn't have the traffic that these other dangerous waterways do.

On July 22, 2006, a boating sobriety checkpoint was conducted by the Missouri State Water Patrol on Smithville Lake in Clay County. The checkpoint was scheduled to be from 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm. The focus of the checkpoint was to check for intoxicated boat operators on Smithville Lake. The sobriety checkpoint resulted in:

43 - Boats Stopped
10 - Sobriety Tests Given
1 - BWI arrest
6 - Written Warnings
5 - Drug Related Arrests
----------------------------------------------------------

On July 23, 2006, the Missouri State Water Patrol conducted a joint agency sobriety checkpoint on the Missouri River Nodaway Island Access Mile Mark 462. Agencies involved in this land and water checkpoint effort were the Missouri State Water Patrol, Missouri Conservation Department, Kansas Parks and Wildlife and the Missouri State Highway Patrol. The focus of the checkpoint is to remove the intoxicated operator from the waterway as well as the roadway.

Apparently NOBODY was stopped on the Mo-Mo or results were so pitiful that they chose not to release them. So the resources of 4 government agencies were tied up and there were NO results worth reporting.

[Tigerhaze]

I don't know why the even need to do checkpoints on Smithville; I went up there the other night and parked at the dam watched a runabout on full plane dangerously encroaching within 50 feet of swimmers multiple times. All the MSWP has to do is sit up there on the dam and then call them in to one of their patrol boats.

The MO River checkpoint is a little curious; there must have been some specific incidents to trigger it.

[Outdoorsfool]

Okay, since I've been railing on WP and their apparent avoidance of Lake O, it's only fair that I post this up.

Water Patrol Lake of the Ozarks Sobriety Enforcement


On July 29, 2006, officers of the Missouri State Water Patrol conducted a sobriety checkpoint at the 9.5 mile mark of Lake of the Ozarks. The Water Patrol began stopping boats at 11:30 PM on July 29 and continued until 2:00 AM on July 30. The purpose of the boating checkpoint is to detect the alcohol impaired boat operator and remove them from the waterways. Intoxicated operators are a very serious problem on our lakes and rivers. In nearly 40% of the fatal and serious injury accidents in Missouri, alcohol is listed as the primary contributing factor. Impaired boat operators react more slowly, make judgment errors, cannot multitask effectively and are less attentive when driving a boat or vehicle. These effects can become evident long before the operator would be considered legally "drunk". The problem of alcohol and drug impaired operators is compounded even more when it happens at night under very low lighting conditions. The "drunk driver" is a huge safety concern to the boating public during the daytime, but at night they can be deadly. The Missouri State Water Patrol recognizes the danger of impaired boat operators and is focused in its efforts to remove them from our waterways. The sobriety checkpoint is one tool the Water Patrol uses to address the growing problem of operators Boating While Intoxicated. The checkpoints are designed to act as a deterrent to boat operators who want to drink and drive their boat. Positive enforcement of our alcohol related watercraft laws is the key to greater boater responsibility and ultimately a safer boating environment for everyone.

Results of the Sobriety Checkpoint on Lake of the Ozarks:

58 - Boats Stopped
10 - Boating While Intoxicated Arrests
14 - Citations for other Offenses
1 - Misdemeanor Drug Arrest
18 - Written warnings for other violations

to WP for finally getting around to LO. I wonder what the stats would look like if they'd do one of these near Party Cove.

[Tigerhaze]

That equates to a 17% success rate on the intended purpose of the checkpoint (BWI enforcement). While not a fan of random stops, at least they are making an impact on a true public safety issue.

[Outdoorsfool]

Tiger - I'm definitely not a fan of them either. They had been conducted as sobriety checkpoints. This random stop and search was challenged and upheld by the courts. But these stops have evolved into checks for all sorts of things (warrants, drug searches, etc.). I wonder if the current focus of some of these checkpoints would still pass judicial muster. It is becoming, more and more, a police state where no probable cause is required for a stop and search. Those who give up liberty for security have neither.



But, if they were wanting to make an impact, why not go to one of the primary sources of problems, like Party Cove? Although, I think this checkpoint at the 9.5 mile marker is probably at/near Toad Cove, which houses several nightclubs. Which could lead to other questions, like what if WP persistently conducts checks near only one bar location and ignores others.