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Police ramped up on the water for Memorial Day

Posted at 6:37 PM, May 30, 2016
and last updated 2016-05-30 18:43:04-04

RIVIERA BEACH, Fla. -- You don't have to wait long to spot law enforcement in the waters around Peanut Island on Memorial Day.

Several agencies were present, including Palm Beach Police, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Officer Casey Schroer with the FWC was one of the many patrolling the waters on Memorial Day.

"Our main priority here is safety. We've got a lot of people in the channels, we've got a lot of people coming out to the sandbar. There's just a lot of moving parts," Casey said.

Officers were on the lookout for impaired boaters and performed random checks to make sure boats had sufficient numbers of life jackets on board.

Casey said he didn't encounter an extreme number of rule-breakers, and attributes it to the added security.

"There are going to be folks who break the rules every now and then but there is something to be said about having the officer presence," he said.

Anthony Ramdial and his family visited Peanut Island over the course of the three-day weekend.

His family brought their boat from Ft. Lauderdale and camped on Peanut Island.

But Anthony said that while his family was away from their campsite, it was burglarized.

"We got back and our case of beer was stolen and our friends-- their bottle of liquor was stolen," he said.

Anthony filed a police report and said that a friend also had money stolen from their campsite.

His family also encountered some issues on the water.

"I saw some crazy drivers. I saw some people cutting other people off and not being water friendly. If you're going to be on the water you need to be more courteous to other boaters," he said.

Anthony added that he appreciated the extra police presence, saying it's crucial to keep people safe on the water.

"If you're not safe, you could injure your family and other people as well," he said.

Local law enforcement agencies are expected to release data this week showing how many people were arrested and given citations on the water.