SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - The Hampden County Sheriff's Department has announced the launch of their new marine patrol unit.

"What we are trying to do with our Marine Patrol Unit is not be the responding mechanism to the incident," said Hampden County Sheriff Nick Cocchi. "We want to avoid the incident. We don't want it. We want to make sure people are out there abiding by the water rules and laws." 

What You Need To Know

  • The Hampden County Aheriffs Dept launched their marine patrol unit
  • They got two boats, paid for with the department of justices’s asset forfeiture fund
  • Ten members of the department are part of the unit. Each member on the unit has specialized training and each boat is equipped with narcan
  • They are partnering with other law enforcement agencies to enhance public safety in western mass waters

During the pandemic, the sheriff said more people have been on the water and on boats. Over the past two summers, Cocchi said there were some preventable tragedies in Hampden County.

"Two that stick out fresh in my mind was a loss of a life of a young boy who, quite frankly, was run over by a boat," Cocchi said. "The other was a young lady who was out enjoying the water and had part of her leg taken off due to a boater going over her."

The sheriff's department bought two boats for the unit. One is a 2021 20.5-foot Center Console Finseeker search and rescue patrol boat, the other is a 2017 18-foot Lake Assault search and rescue patrol boat. One of the boats cost $10,000 and the other one was $50,000. They were not paid for with tax payer money. A majority of the money came from the Department of Justice's Asset Forfeiture Fund.

"Drug money," said Cocchi. "Drug money has purchased these boats to participate for our community."

The Marine Patrol Unit is two years in the making. To qualify for membership on the team, all members of the unit must participate in annual ongoing education trainings, maintain an exemplary record of conduct and pass an annual physical fitness exam which includes a swimming test.

The sheriff said this is something the community has been asking for.

"I've been boating on this river my whole life and any other body of water around here. I have lived here for 35 years," said Springfield Harbor Master, Joe Gianetti. "Any time you have someone in uniform out on the water it makes it a lot safer for everyone else out there."

There are 10 members of the sheriff's department on the unit. 

"We gotta make sure it is as safe out there as it is in your neighborhood," said Cocchi.

The unit is working with other local agencies to patrol the waterways. They are going to be out as needed and upon request, so typically when the waterways are busy and crowded, and on weekends, holidays and during events. Both boats are also equipped with narcan.