Colonel Sandra K. Karsten, superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, has announced the Patrol’s participation in “Operation Dry Water.”
According to a news release, “Operation Dry Water” is in its 10th year, and Missouri has participated since the program’s inception. This national campaign includes marine law-enforcement officers from all 50 states and six U.S. territories.
Officers will coordinate special patrols to keep waterways safe from boaters operating under the influence of alcohol or drugs. This year, June 29-July 1, 2018, has been designated as “Operation Dry Water” weekend.
Last year, 628 local, state, and federal agencies participated in a weekend long event of heightened BWI enforcement known as “Operation Dry Water.” Officers removed 518 intoxicated boat operators from the water. In addition, law enforcement officers made contact with 243,853 boaters concerning BWI or boating safety enforcement and awareness.
In 2017, troopers arrested a total of 15 people statewide for boating while intoxicated, contacted 856 vessels and 2,745 boaters, and issued 146 boating violation summonses and 1,238 warnings on Missouri waterways. Marine operations troopers also issued 86 summonses for non-boating violations during the 2017 Operation Dry Water weekend.
Special enforcement operations will continue throughout the summer months.