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Operation Dry Water

Published on June 30, 2019

Operation Dry Water 

Greetings! My name is Connor Caruso from cohort 7. This summer I have the opportunity to go on an internship in the US Virgin Islands. For the next five weeks, I will be spending time with various divisions at Christiansted National Historic Site (CHRI) in St. Croix.

This past week, Ranger Clarke and I met with representatives from the United States Coast Guard (USCG) and Department of Planning and Natural Resources (DPNR) to discuss boating enforcement for the upcoming holiday weekend.Operation Dry Water (ODW) is a year-round boating under the influence awareness and enforcement campaign. The mission of ODW is to reduce the number of alcohol- and drug-related accidents and fatalities through increased recreational boater awareness and by fostering a stronger and more visible deterrent to alcohol use on the water.

Operation Dry Water’s heightened awareness and enforcement three-day weekend takes place annually around July fourth, a holiday unfortunately known for drinking and boating, and deadly accidents. The meeting primarily focused on creating a joint enforcement plan with the participating agencies. As a participant in ODW, law enforcement officers at Christiansted will enforce boating safety and conduct BUI stops around Buck Island Reef National Monument. To prepare for the upcoming operation, NPS law enforcement officers will be teaming up with the USCG next week to conduct training exercises. I look forward to working with the USCG and furthering my boating knowledge!

Over the course of the week, Ranger Clarke and Laurencin walked me through the process of conducting a safe traffic stop. After completing a few scenarios with Ranger Clarke, I had the opportunity to assist Ranger Laurencin with a traffic stop on a vehicle that was driving the wrong way on a one way street. I was able to take away a lot of valuable information this week and look forward to assisting with traffic stops in the future. 
In addition to conducting traffic stops, I was able to assist in towing multiple vehicles. CHRI has a parking lot that is available for visitor use each day from 8:30 AM- 4:30 PM. After the park closes, all vehicles have to exit the parking lot. Unfortunately, some drivers choose not to follow the rules and leave their vehicles in the parking lot past closure. I was able to observe the procedure for towing vehicles, which includes filling out a towing form The form details the type, make, year, and license plate number of the vehicle as well as any interior or exterior damage. After filling out the necessary information, four vehicles were towed from the parking lot. 
I look forward to the upcoming week where I will have the opportunity to work with the USCG and enforce boating safety. Check back next week to see what I have been up to!
ProRanger Caruso  


Published in2019Christiansted NHSConnor Caruso

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