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Taking Action Against Crime: Norfolk Boat Patrol

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Norfolk Police Harbor Patrol officers say they make lots of stops in the Elizabeth River to alert boaters about the no wake zone.

And they check to make sure boaters have all their safety equipment, like the right number of life jackets

Virginia Boating Safety Education Requirement

Officers check the boat registration and depending on your age, you will have to carry your boater safety course card.

By July 1st, all personal watercraft operators regardless of age must take a boater safety course and all motorboat operators 30 years old or younger need to take the class.

Officers are riding in Norfolk’s newest harbor patrol boat, equipped with the latest technology, including a hull-mounted side scan sonar system helps search for anything underwater.

Officers have seen what happens when a day on the boat turns tragic, so they're trying to stop problems before they happen.