Patrolling San Diego Bay with the Harbor Police: "Always Be Prepared"

Tuesday, 05 July 2011
Contact: Dale Frost

A fog bank rolled over Point Loma, enveloping San Diego Bay in a gray marine blanket as Harbor Police Officers Shawn Wooddy and Michael Hart boarded a police vessel to begin a routine patrol of the bay.

It was a quiet morning, with no commercial or recreational vessels crossing the bay.

“A quiet day can turn chaotic in an instant,” said Wooddy on this day in late June. “You always have to be prepared.”

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Working 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the Harbor Police – with more than 130 sworn officers – is the law enforcement arm of the Port of San Diego. The officers are dually trained as fire-fighters, which is rare amongst law enforcement agencies.

On this particular day, Harbor Police Officers Wooddy and Hart were patrolling the north bay. After leaving the police dock at the tip of Shelter Island, they headed downtown to check the security of the B Street Pier Cruise Ship Terminal.

All was well. There were no small boats exploring under the pier, where they should not be. There was no suspicious activity on the terminal.

The officers continued to the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal, where the cargo ship Dole Costa Rica was offloading bananas for the region and the cargo vessel Ocean Charger was loading windmill tower sections for export to Honduras.

Once again, all looked routine.

The officers then patrolled around the San Diego-Coronado Bay Bridge. Another Harbor Police vessel was conducting routine patrol of the south section of San Diego Bay. Along with police gear, every officer brings a full set of fire-fighting gear aboard the patrol boats.

“We have to be able to change roles from police officer to fire fighter in an instant,” said Wooddy.

The officers are often the first responders when a boat ignites in flames while docked in San Diego Bay.

Wooddy recalled a recent incident in the south bay at Coronado Cays. A large powerboat caught fire and was engulfed in flames. Officer Hart was the first to arrive, using the police boat fire-fighting water pump equipment to begin extinguishing the flames.  A family of three, who were living aboard the vessel, escaped without injury.

To improve fire-fighting capabilities and response time, the Harbor Police acquired two new fire-fighting vessels—called FireStorm 36’s—in November 2010. They are faster than the older boats, cutting response time in half and more than doubling the capacity of pumping water for fire-fighting.

While patrolling the bay, Hart, an operating instructor for the new vessels, was observing Wooddy’s boat-driving skills on the FireStorm 36. Once Wooddy gains enough driving time, he will be eligible to take a FireStorm 36 certification test.

“Providing a safe environment for the public, port commerce, and the U.S. military is a key function of our officers on vessel patrol,” said Harbor Police Chief John Bolduc.

“Not only are our officers the first line of defense in our overall public safety mission, but they provide search and rescue, fire-fighting, and other critical functions necessary for a safe maritime environment,” he said.

Along with vessel patrol of San Diego Bay, Harbor Police officers also patrol and protect Port tidelands by vehicle, foot and sometimes bicycle.

The Port tidelands include the waterfronts of its five member cities—San Diego, Coronado, Chula Vista, National City and Imperial Beach. The Harbor Police also provide police services under contract at San Diego International Airport.

The Port of San Diego is a strategic port—meaning the port and Harbor Police must coordinate and work with the military when needed.

The department also regularly works in partnership with the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, federal Homeland Security officials, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Customs and Border Patrol. 

Seven years ago, officers on the Harbor Police Dive Team became the first civilian divers requested by the U.S. Navy to inspect for subsurface threats to military ships.

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The Harbor Police also partner with multiple agencies to protect the harbor and border from human trafficking and drug smuggling. Operations are conducted under a multi-jurisdictional Homeland Security effort, called Operation Stonegarden.

Hart recalled a recent vessel call for rescue that turned into a drug bust.  When a powerboat became disabled offshore of Point Loma, the boat operators called Harbor Police to be rescued. When the boat was docked, officers discovered 600 pounds of marijuana packed into the vessel.

“You have to look at the big picture,” said Hart, a Harbor Police Officer for eight years. “You can’t assume or be complacent. A rescue can turn into any type of incident.”

Along with serving as a vessel and rifle operator, Hart is an instructor for fireboat and fastboat operations.  He is also an instructor for the county-wide law enforcement Regional Communication System.

Wooddy is a boat and rifle operator, firefighting instructor and member of the dive team. He has served as a Harbor Police officer for seven years.

“We wear a lot of hats,” said Wooddy.

As well as serving in different capacities, the officers also rotate locations and work various shifts. They regularly move from San Diego Bay to San Diego International Airport, from patrolling the tidelands by vehicle to patrolling the bay by boat.

“No one gets pigeon-holed,” said Wooddy. “We get a balanced amount of patrol, vessel and airport time.”

• Read Related Story: On Patrol With Damith Rodrigo, Harbor Police Officer