Hempstead Town Christens New Boat For Bay Constables

Town of Hempstead officials joined Bay Constables to officially launch and christen a newly acquired, high-tech U.S. Coast Guard response boat ahead of the busy July 4 holiday week. The town also announced additional enforcement and patrols throughout the entire week in response to increased holiday boat traffic.

The response boat, ‘Hempstead Constable 2,’ fills a critical gap in the town’s emergency response, officials say, by allowing Bay Constables to quickly and safely navigate through the back bays in shallower than normal waters. The newly acquired response boat can safely navigate in waters as little as two and a half feet with its engines still running, whereas the town’s other boats require turning off the engines and manually paddling, or using poles, to navigate through shallow water.

The July 4 holiday kicks off the busiest time of the year for boating on the South Shore.

“Every year, our constables respond to hundreds of distress calls, and anywhere from 50 to 60 those every year are from boats that run aground,” said Town of Hempstead Supervisor Laura Gillen. “Every second counts when you’re responding to emergencies, especially on the water. This boat is extremely versatile and will be a valuable asset in responding to distress calls in both the back bays and the ocean.”

The town will be stepping up patrols during the busy holiday weekend and will be out in force to make sure everyone is safe by enforcing speeding limits, especially in no wake zones, and responding to suspicions of BWI, or Boating While Intoxicated. Drugs and alcohol are the leading known contributing factors in fatal boating accidents.

“Summer boating is here in Hempstead Town, and just in time for the busiest boating time of the year, the July 4 holiday week, it is comforting to know that our Bay Constables will be able to increase safety checks on our waterways with the acquisition of a new response boat,” said Councilwoman Erin King Sweeney.

The Coast Guard rescue response boat normally retails for approximately $260,000, not including the equipment in it such as radar, sonar, navigation and lights, which place the value of the boat at approximately $300,000. The town was able to acquire the vesel in nearly mint condition, with only approximately 1,000 hours on it, through the GSA Federal Surplus Program.

Photo courtesy Town of Hempstead