New police boat coming soon to Shelter Island


A brand new boat, similar to this model shown in Nevada, will be heading to the Shelter Island Police Department from a warehouse upstate.

A new police boat will soon be on its way to Shelter Island and the price is oh, so right.


The new boat is good news for health and safety in Shelter Island waters and “equally good news for our taxpayers,” Town Supervisor Jim Dougherty commented during Tuesday’s work session.


Police Chief James Read said he received a call from the New York State Department of Parks and Recreation that a new boat was available in a warehouse upstate. Chief Read has been trying to win a grant to purchase a new police boat since the Town Board turned down his request for a replacement boat in 2008. The state is offering the boat to the town at no cost.


“If we don’t take it, somebody else will,” Chief Read said. 


The boat is a 26-foot Boston Whaler with a center console, two 4-stroke Mercury engines and a new heavy-duty trailer and is valued at $134,000. The only gear it lacks is communications and radar equipment, according to Bay Constable Butch Labrozzi, who had inspected a similar boat given to Southold town from the state last fall. Riverhead also received a boat through the program. Chief Read described the state boat give-aways as one of the dividends of the cooperative effort between the East End towns and county police to enforce state law on marine waters.


The boat is coming from the state as “a 100 percent straightforward grant to us,” requiring no matching funds, according to Chief Read. The town will be asked to sign a memo of understanding with the state that gives it first right of refusal should the town give up the boat in the future. The state also wants Shelter Island and Southold towns to hold a ceremony on May 22 to recognize the state’s support of local law enforcement through the boat give-aways.


Mr. Dougherty said that the board will formalize the acceptance of the boat at Friday’s regular Town Hall meeting.