New Rochelle PD Gets Sharp-Looking New Harbor Unit Boat

New Rochelle NY

27 October, 2021

10:38 AM

Description

NEW ROCHELLE, NY — There's a new "dreamboat" in town and the recent arrival could help to save lives in New Rochelle and across the region. The New Rochelle Police Department Harbor Unit has a new 33-foot SAFE (Secure All-around Flotation Equipped) patrol boat. The addition to the fleet of harbor patrol craft will upgrade the unit's capacity for marine operations on the Long Island Sound, according to officials. The new SAFE Boat will allow the Harbor Unit to patrol Sound waters as well as having the new tools and advanced technology needed for marine emergencies in unpredictable conditions. The new rescue and patrol boat was paid for through the Department of Homeland Security- Port Security Grant Program at no cost to New Rochelle taxpayers. The newest member of the fleet was built by SAFE Boats International in Seattle. The state-of-the art patrol boat features a FLIR camera with thermal imaging, night vision and infrared detection which can identify heat signatures of vessels and persons in distress. Other futuristic features of the new rescue boat include underwater sonar scanning and 3D imaging, a radiological detection system and aptly named "Sky Hook" technology that lets a boat remain in a fixed position using GPS without someone at the helm. Last, but not least, the boat has three incredibly powerful Mercury Verado outboard engines. The boat will be formally dedicated in spring 2022. Established in the mid-1930's, New Rochelle's Harbor Unit is a full-time certified Police Marine Unit servicing Westchester County's Long Island Sound. In addition to covering the city's 9-mile shoreline, the NRPD Harbor Unit provides support to neighboring municipalities, Westchester County, and New York City.