Wawasee Lake Patrol receives new boat

Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department Lake Patrol program received a donation of a new patrol boat for use on Lake Wawasee.The donation of the new boat was from the Wawasee Property Owners Association with the assistance of Griffith Wawasee Marina, Syracuse.This patrol boat was purchased with charitable donations made to the Wawasee Property Owners Association by its membership and considerable discounts by Griffith’s Wawasee Marina and outfitted with police equipment by the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department.Wawasee Property Owners Association has once again made a lasting commitment to the safety of Lake Wawasee and all citizens who enjoy one of the premier lakes of Kosciusko County with this donation. WPOA is an organization seeking to preserve and protect Lake Wawasee. The strategic goals of WPOA includes areas such as boater education and water safety.The donation was also made possible by a generous discount and the continuing community support of one of this area’s premier marinas, Griffith Wawasee Marina. The sheriff’s department and WPOA are appreciative to Terry and Lisa Griffith and their staff for their efforts that made this donation possible.The boat is a new Boston Whaler Montauk 190 with a 150 horsepower Mercury outboard engine. It is equipped with all the required emergency police equipment and is a fully functioning law enforcement patrol vehicle. While this boat will be stationed at Lake Wawasee, the donation package includes a boat trailer allowing this vessel the ability to respond to any lake in Kosciusko County should an emergency ever arise.The sheriff’s department maintains a very active lake patrol program on the largest lakes in the county. The patrol program is a cooperative effort between the local lake property owner associations and the department. Lake patrol deputies patrol the lakes in the county during the summer recreational boating season and are strongly focused on promoting boater safety and education.Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department is a charter participant in the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Marine Patrol Assistance Grant. Since 2005, and including the 2018 boating season, the Marine Patrol Assistance Grant has returned $319,000 to the citizens of Kosciusko County for lake patrol efforts. These grants are part of the larger Indiana Department of Natural Resources Lake and River Enhancement Grant program funded by annual boat registration fees.