LETTERS
Harbor Patrol Services
The intent of this letter is to save Orange County tax dollars and encourage the exploration of the Orange County Sheriff’s Harbor Patrol’s non-emergency towing and jumpstart response policy with recreational boaters in the area.
Three (tax-paying) established businesses, licensed, equipped and insured, provide these on the water services in OC. Non-emergency towing, jumpstarts, fuel and part deliveries, ungroundings, salvage and much more are available from these companies, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
In 2000, harbor patrol reported more than 1,000 non-emergency tows and jumpstarts.
In 2001, harbor patrol reported 845 non-emergency tows and jumpstarts.
In 2002, harbor patrol reported 544 non-emergency tows and jumpstarts.
Why are Orange County taxpayers buying more patrol boats while caseloads of routine calls decrease and civilian contractors are available?
Certainly, there are more appropriate allocations for the funds of a county that was bankrupt just a few years ago.
Orange County wastes hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars every year on new patrol boats, exploiting emergency resources for non-emergency situations, boosting county fuel bills, maintenance costs, and drastically increasing county liability. These actions also directly take money out of the pockets of at least nine small businesses in their own county.
The United States Coast Guard’s policy on non-emergency cases diverts these calls to private businesses and good Samaritans. San Diego County does not provide non-emergency towing and jumpstarts in San Diego or Mission Bay, nor do Oceanside, Avalon, Los Angeles/Long Beach Port Police, Ventura County and others. These local municipalities also divert such cases to private contractors and good Samaritans, reserving our resources for actual emergencies.
Only after all private contractors are committed and/or exhausted will these agencies launch a government resource. I urge Orange County to explore and/or adopt portions of these policies. Obviously, this is to prevent the government from competing with private enterprise, as it is a conflict of interest. This also defers deployment of government agency resources, allowing private enterprise to prosper, while saving taxpayer dollars, reserving emergency resources for eminent situations, as was their original intent.
I do not recall the last time I saw a patrol car, fire truck or paramedic towing a car down the street at taxpayers’ expense. These calls are diverted to tow truck companies. What will that fire truck do when there is a fire? How much longer will it take to respond? What will it take for Orange County to follow suit and stop misusing taxpayer dollars?
Jeffrey L. Jacobs
Orange County resident/small business owner
