Police Acquire New Boat

Mount Pleasant police are patrolling local waters in a new boat purchased with a federal grant.

The watercraft replaces a 19-year-old vessel police say was reaching the end of its usefulness.

“We’re not building our fleet,” said Sgt. Sean Heathington, who leads the marine unit. “The taxpayer got a significant amount of use out of the old boat, and this grant provided a great opportunity for us to maintain what we already have.”

The 20-Foot Pioneer watercraft is equipped with an advanced GPS plotter, a low-light video camera system and side-scanning equipment. The boat and its equipment cost $65,000 and was paid for with a Department of Homeland Security grant.

“Because of the port, all the local law enforcement share the responsibility, along with the U.S. Coast Guard, of protecting it and providing security,” Heathington said.

While the grant was given for that purpose, the boat has plenty of local law enforcement applications. Delivered in November, the boat has been used regularly for security and patrols around town.

Officers used it at political rallies when presidential candidates appeared on the USS Yorktown and it was in the water in December when an MUSC pharmacy resident jumped from the Ravenel Bridge.

Mount Pleasant police also operate a 25-foot, twin-engine Mayco boat, but its size is sometimes limiting in shallow water or when there isn’t much space for navigation, Heathington said.

“The draft on this new boat is less than two feet, so we can go into practically any creek where we might be needed,” Heathington said.

Three town officers have the training to operate the boats. They are constantly training, conducting patrols and security checks. Over the course of the last few years, officers have been able to encourage citizens to clear 45 abandoned craft from various local waterways.

“We have a lot of waterway in Mount Pleasant, so it’s necessary to have this capability,” Heathington said. “And with the new parks and the expanding cruise terminal in Charleston, the demand will continue to grow.”