New Boat Purchase Approved For Rockland County Sheriff's Office

Rockland County Legislators voted unanimously to back the purchase of a new boat for the Rockland County Sheriff’s Office for use by its patrol and emergency response Marine Unit.

Rockland County Legislature Planning & Public Works Chairman Joel Friedman said the new boat is replacing a 26-year old vessel that has been reconditioned two different times.

“The Sheriff’s Office needs this new boat because the current 1999 boat is well beyond its better days,” Legislator Friedman said. “It’s also important to understand that the Sheriff’s Office uses their boats not just for routine river patrols, such as taking impaired operators off the water, but also for emergency responses to plane crashes, capsizing, and other incidents. The department needs the right tools for the job no matter the emergency.”

The department’s new boat is a 27-foot SAFE Boat, which will be purchased through Safe Boats International of Bremerton, WA. The cost, which includes training on operations and new technological equipment, is $575,000. The funding has been provided through the federal Department of Homeland Security’s 2024 FEMA Port Security grant, with the funds previously accepted by the County Legislature and Executive.