Quote:
Originally Posted by NightWing
Calling in the stop at night (in an area where the radio reaches) is a safety issue, so the dispatcher knows where the stop is made and the bow number of the boat.
The original question arose about personal information being transmitted to obtain records on the operator. Those records are primarily motor vehicle related and not of great value on the water.
|
I think that it is of great value on the water, because there is information about a persons history that is directly related to boat operation. I was in law enforcement in the past and I can say that it's standard practice to call in someones "information" which consists of their last name, first name and middle initial,as well as DOB. This can allow you to see if someone has a valid driver's license, see what their motor vehicle history is, as well as if they have a criminal history/outstanding warrants (depending on what you ask dispatch for). On the water, i'm assuming that they check for active warrants, or if the operator is under suspension for operating a boat due to a BWI, or other offense which would revoke their boat operating privileges. If for some reason the officer requests a social security number due to lack of identification, they will likely call dispatch via a cell phone and give them the last 4 digits, rather than call it out over open radio.