New York News

"Operation Sober Boater" Launched To Increase Safety

WAMC Northeast Public Radio | By Dave Lucas

Published July 8, 2017 at 4:08 PM EDT

Police in upstate New York are launching a new effort to reduce drunk boating.

Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple and Saratoga County Sheriff Mike Zurlo launched "Operation Sober Boater" Thursday. They say law enforcement will increase patrols and also look to restaurant owners or boaters to self-police consumption.

The Albany County Sheriff's Office has three boats that patrol the Hudson and Mohawk Rivers. The Saratoga department patrols waterways with four boats and two jet skis.

Deputies will share "Operation Sober Boater" handouts in local restaurants.

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Dave Lucas

Dave Lucas is WAMC’s Capital Region Bureau Chief. Born and raised in Albany, he’s been involved in nearly every aspect of local radio since 1981. Before joining WAMC, Dave was a reporter and anchor at WGY in Schenectady. Prior to that he hosted talk shows on WYJB and WROW, including the 1999 series of overnight radio broadcasts tracking the JonBenet Ramsey murder case with a cast of callers and characters from all over the world via the internet. In 2012, Dave received a Communicator Award of Distinction for his WAMC news story "Fail: The NYS Flood Panel," which explores whether the damage from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee could have been prevented or at least curbed. Dave began his radio career as a “morning personality” at WABY in Albany.

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