Anytime you go to work wearing sunglasses, shorts, sunscreen and a gun, it’s got to be a good day.

I came to this conclusion while riding with officers of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources on boating patrol at Lake Shafer near Monticello. Actually, at one point, I shouted above the roar of the engine, “I don’t ever want to hear you guys complain about anything, ever!”

Not that either Don Dulin or Ron Johnson were grumbling. In fact, the pair seemed to enjoy their Sunday afternoon work in spite of the constant interruptions presented by passing boaters oblivious to the notion that there were actually state laws governing watercraft operation.

The DNR conducts boat patrols at all major lakes and reservoirs throughout the state during the year, especially during warmer months. The primary job of the officers is the same as any other cop: deter and apprehend lawbreakers while helping those in trouble. During the time I was on the boat, there were plenty of both.

Towing a disabled boat is part of the job

Heading up the lake, it was quickly apparent that there was no shortage of violations for the officers to deal with. The first “traffic stop” of the day was a pontoon boat that had several children dangling their legs over the front of the boat as it sped south toward Indiana Beach. The operator, a middle-aged man, seemed oblivious and slightly peeved about the stop even though Johnson politely explained the danger and illegality of allowing people to ride on the bow while the boat is underway.

Johnson let the man go with a verbal warning even though his demeanor nearly purchased him a citation. A few minutes later, we towed a boat that had conked out after hitting a floating log in the debris-laden river. The man and women thanked us gratefully as we helped them to the dock before heading upriver to investigate several complaints of speeding boats. It was the last time during the day that anyone was cordial.

Writing the dreaded citation

It wasn’t long before Johnson had his hands full. There were many boats and Personal Water Craft (PWC) in the area and all seemed to be committing some type of violation. The majority were not observing the No-Wake rule and many of the PWC operators were under the required 16 years of age. As Johnson attempted to speak with one 14-year-old girl riding an unregistered PWC, he had to speak with three other boats about their operation. In the heavy current, Johnson struggled to simultaneously talk to everyone, hold onto the PWC and stay pointed upstream so the outdoor writer was pressed into momentary helmsman duty.

The girl had no identification or paperwork and we had to follow her several miles down the lake to her cabin. There Johnson spoke with her father, who dropped the name of an important state official into every sentence, often several times. This didn’t prevent the man from receiving a citation for permitting a violation and shiny new copy of the Indiana boating regulations.

Education is a major element of the DNR officer’s job. Unlike other types of police work, the most commonly heard complaint is “I didn’t know that was illegal!” While some were undoubtedly lying, the majority seemed incredulous that boat operators must essentially abide by the same rules and regulations governing automobile operation, including licensing requirements.

Shortly thereafter we picked up Dulin and the real fun began. It was now afternoon and the boating and drinking had picked up considerably. This is why one of the primary goals of the patrols is to deter and arrest drunken boat operators.

Asked about finding impaired boaters, Johnson said, “We’re mainly looking for safety and registration violations. Unsafe operation, endangering themselves or property, is a big one.” Johnson is encouraged that many boaters are beginning to use a non-drinking “designated operator.”

Watching for violations on the lake

Johnson also gave away one secret for finding intoxicated drivers on PWC: “They ride a Jetski like a horse; bounce, bounce, bounce. (If they are doing that) they’re either drunk or have never ridden before. They also have difficulty getting back on (after a spill)”

The rest of the day was spent dealing with an operator whose driver’s license was suspended, a group that had been causing trouble the past two weekends and the ever present PWC problem. In fact, the volume of violations seemed so overwhelming that it would require a battalion of green-clad game wardens to control instead of the three officers and two boats that were working the 1,291-acre lake. By the end of the day, dealing with unpleasant and unhappy people had indeed been tedious.

After one such encounter, Johnson referred back to my earlier comment about complaining while riding around in a large taxpayer-provided boat on a beautiful sunny day, “It’s just like anything else; it’s a job.”

I noticed he was still grinning.

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