[Skipper]

It is interesting to read the discussion about the MP and what is considered an official stop. I applaud McKeown (the kayaker) for standing up for his (our) rights. Sorry to disagree with Skip. I think it is a good check and balance. I think he made a poor choice by not having a PFD in the kayak but he does have a right to be wrong. MP officer Cook should also be praised for not spinning the story of the events and for his help in draining and righting a tipped kayak. OK, Here is my issue with this event:

from the Concord Monitor Online

... However, McKeown's kayak tipped over, at least in part from the wake caused by Cook's approaching boat. ...

That part of the story jumped right out at me. The wake from MP officer Cook's boat was part or the reason the kayak tipped over. MP swamped the kayak in the name of a safety check. Is the Marine Patrol exempt from responsibility for the wake they make (specially in a non-emergency situation)?

I would love to see more Marine Patrol activity around the lake. Like others here, I too see more well behaved boaters when the MP are in sight. When they are out of view it is a different situation with many boaters. Like automobile violations. You don't do them when you see the police cars are around, do you? If you have ever been a (land) driving violator, when did/do you usually break the law (speeding, illegal turns, parking, crossing the solid lines, illegal passing and such)? When the cops or MP are NOT in sight. Cars/boats same type of driving habits but not the same situations and consequences. Unfortunately, while one patrol boat is busy with a boat stop, other boaters get away with violations.

Back to this story. The actions of the MP officer is questionable IMO because his method of operation helped cause the kayak to tip over. What would we be talking about if that action lead to the kayaker drowning? Yeh he should have had a life jacket from a legal and practical standpoint. But the MP officer should have been more careful of his wake. I think that is also an important component of this particular story.

As Skip indicated, it is a fine line officers have to walk and none of us are perfect. Not citizens, not law enforcement persons. We must also stand up for each and every right we have as citizens so as to not gradually let our freedoms erode.

Lets us ALL boat safely all the time

Skipper

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ignorance by law enforcement officers should not be excused