The Rockland County Legislature has unanimously approved the purchase of a new patrol boat for the Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit, replacing a 26-year-old vessel that has long outlived its operational prime.
Legislator Joel Friedman, Chair of the Planning & Public Works Committee, said the aging 1999 vessel had already undergone two refurbishments and could no longer meet the demands of the unit. “This new boat is critical not just for routine patrols, but for emergencies like drownings, capsized vessels, and even plane crashes,” Friedman said.
The new 27-foot SAFE Boat will be purchased from Safe Boats International of Bremerton, Washington, at a total cost of $575,000. The price includes advanced technology and training and will be fully funded through the Department of Homeland Security’s 2024 FEMA Port Security Grant Program.
The Marine Unit currently operates two enclosed-cabin boats for year-round use and one smaller vessel for shallow waters. In 2024 alone, the unit responded to 525 incidents—including three drownings, 12 search and rescues, 26 vessels in distress, and 179 port/homeland security calls.
Covering Rockland’s 33-mile Hudson River boundary from Bear Mountain to Palisades, the Marine Unit works closely with the U.S. Coast Guard and the Governor’s Hudson River Estuary Law Enforcement Task Force, providing enforcement, safety, rescue, and ecological protection across the waterway.