The town of Carmel is adding a personal watercraft to its police marine division in an effort to crack down on reckless boating, speeding and other dangerous behavior on Lake Mahopac during this busy summer season.
At its July 1 meeting, the Town Board unanimously authorized the purchase of a 2026 Yamaha WaveRunner from Patsy's Bay Marina in Stony Point for an amount not to exceed $15,500 at the request of Police Chief Anthony Hoffmann.
Town officials said the WaveRunner will complement the department's existing patrol boat by allowing officers to respond more quickly to emergencies on the lake.
"This is going to be in addition to the boat that they have out on the lake," Councilman Bob Schanil said before the vote. "This will also help to go after those who break the law. They're speeding around, carrying on. The police will have a little bit of a quicker response to those incidents and, God forbid, there's an emergency, there'll be an extra watercraft there to help out."
Councilman Mike Lugo said additional enforcement has become a priority for town officials who regularly spend time on the lake.
"We are looking forward to having more enforcement out there on the lake," Lugo said. "Councilman [Rob] Kearns and I frequent the lake pretty much every weekend and we know it's pretty dangerous. Chief Hoffman, I'm happy that we got this done and we're able to again make the lake a safer place for all to enjoy."
Councilman Kearns said improving safety on Lake Mahopac has been a focus for the board for the past two years.
"For Councilman Lugo and I, this has been a top priority of ours for probably the last two years," Kearns said. "We've had multiple conversations with Chief Hoffman and the Carmel Police Department. We frequent Lake Mahopac. We see the dangers that are out there on the waters and it's just a matter of time until someone gets hurt with the reckless Jet Skis on the lake.
"This summer we will be cracking down, and we are going to make sure that our police department has all the tools they need to make sure that all the boaters are safe and enjoying themselves this summer," he added.
The new WaveRunner expands a marine patrol that has already undergone significant modernization in recent years.
In 2023, the department unveiled a new 21-foot Life Proof rigid-hull inflatable patrol boat, known as Marine One, replacing a nearly 20-year-old Boston Whaler that had become increasingly expensive to maintain. The vessel, purchased through a state grant at a reduced cost of approximately $70,000, is equipped with side- and down-scanning sonar, a thermal imaging camera and the capability to tow disabled vessels. At the time, Hoffmann said the department would be targeting speeding, reckless operation and boating while intoxicated, in addition to responding to emergencies on the lake.
The addition of a smaller, faster personal watercraft is expected to enhance the department's ability to reach areas where larger patrol boats may be less maneuverable and to quickly intercept speeding jet skis and other personal watercraft.
Lake Mahopac becomes one of Putnam County's busiest recreational destinations each summer, with heavy boat and personal watercraft traffic on weekends and holidays. Carmel police regularly patrol the lake and enforce both New York State Navigation Law and local boating regulations, including reckless operation, speed restrictions in designated areas and boating while intoxicated.
The resolution authorizes Supervisor Mike Cazzari to execute the purchase documents and permits and Comptroller Mary Ann Maxwell to make any necessary budget transfers associated with the acquisition.
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