Seafair DUI patrol headquarters at Proctor Landing this weekend

Boaters enjoy temperatures near 80 as Mount Rainier looms over Lake Washington in this view from Clarke Beach Park on Mercer Island on Tuesday, July 5. - Chad Coleman/Staff Photo
Chad Coleman/Staff Photo
Boaters enjoy temperatures near 80 as Mount Rainier looms over Lake Washington in this view from Clarke Beach Park on Mercer Island on Tuesday, July 5.

By REPORTER STAFF
Mercer Island Reporter Staff
August 2, 2011 · Updated 10:05 AM 

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Law enforcement officers are preparing for another busy Seafair weekend to watch for people suspected of operating a boat while under the influence, (BUI). The group will install a temporary 60-foot-dock on the lake to accommodate boats and equipment.

Law enforcement agencies will include the State Patrol, Mercer Island Police and Marine Patrol, state Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Seattle Police and Harbor Patrol, King County Sheriff's Office Marine Patrol and the Coast Guard.

The BUI emphasis patrol will be homeported at Proctor Landing on Mercer Island. A mobile “Impaired Driving Unit,” with three Breathalyzers and two holding cells, will also be set up, according to the State Patrol. Also, several large fenced detention facilities will be set up to hold people arrested for suspicion of boating under the influence, minors in possession or consumption of alcohol and other violations.

DUI patrols will also target highways and streets leading to and from Seafair events, according to the State Patrol.

During last year's Seafair weekend, 59 people were arrested for boating under the influence. In addition, 54 DUI arrests were made on King County roadways.

Alcohol-related incidents usually dominate the police report after Seafair weekend. There were 110 arrests in 2009, 83 BUIs in 2008  and 155 in 2007.

 

Contact Mercer Island Reporter Staff Reporter Staff at editor@mi-reporter.com.

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