Thread: Coast Guard Asks Boaters Help

I think that this is more due to all the Cubans, Haitians and Dominicans coming here by boat. Many have died in their attempts. I think they should get rid of the wetfoot dryfoot policy and that may help prevent some of the smuggling going on.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/ ... 1451.story

terrorist attack. Those who do notice something unusual are asked to call a special number to report what they saw.

"There's no way we can watch all of our waterways, our shoreline," said Joel Aberbach, a civilian volunteer with the Coast Guard in Miami who helped craft the program. "We need all of the eyes and ears that we can get."

The Coast Guard asks boaters familiar with area waters to be alert for suspicious activity: boats anchored in areas not usually used for anchoring, odd diving activity, people engaged in surveillance-type actions, people seeking to rent boats or personal watercraft for unspecified use, and people recovering or tossing items into the water or on the shore.



"They're not spies, they're not our agents, they're just people doing the same thing they did during the early part of the Second World War," Aberbach said. "You don't have to prove anything, you don't have to document anything, just tell us what you see." The call can be anonymous.

The program was started in South Florida just weeks after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks under the name Operation On Guard. In 2004, it was expanded nationally and renamed.

"I lot of people don't realize they can be part of the eyes and ears of Homeland Security," said John Fiore, a Broward County associate planner, who recently heard of the program.

"It needs more publicity, it needs more exposure," Aberbach said.

To help raise awareness, Fiore is having three pages of the county's annual Boating Guide, released in October, dedicated to the waterway watch project.

Mariners at area boat ramps said they hadn't heard of the program but heartily endorsed it. "Combating terrorism is everybody's concern," said boater Joe Gerardo, 47, of Fort Lauderdale. "If I saw something clear-cut terrorism related, I would call it in, certainly."

Boaters noticing suspicious activity may call 800-424-8802, or, if the situation appears urgent, 911. Information is available at www.americaswaterwaywatch.org.

Robert Nolin can be reached at rnolin@sunsentinel.com or 954-356-4525.

Sorta of like Minute Men on the water, I wonder if Bush will call them vigalantes too?

Swatchick wrote:

I think they should get rid of the wetfoot dryfoot policy and that may help prevent some of the smuggling going on.

More importantly, it would probably save lives. Perhaps that's the approach we need to take in regards to demanding the end to the wetfoot/dryfoot policy. END THE PROGRAM AND SAVE LIVES!

Slightly off topic here, but now, this type of 'civilian police force' is what we need to enforce our immmigration laws, not to police our citizens, like Oh Brother is planning.