STORY TOOLS

• E-mail story
• iPod friendly
• Printer friendly

Tell us about it

• What would you add to this story? Tell us what we missed.
• Do you have photos from this event? Documents we need to see? Share with us.
• Upload photos & videos
• More ways to get your stuff online and in the paper.

RELATED STORIES

• Two more high-end, go-fast boats stolen in Collier

More Local News

• Island business reaches agreement with school board over development of Tract K
• Quotes from Marco City Council's review of City Manager
• POLL: Marco Island to keep City Manager Steve Thompson

Share and Enjoy [?]

A second boat theft in as many months on Marco Island has sparked an initiative by police to crack down on the rising problem.

The City of Marco Island Police Department is offering free security assessments to boat owners in the hopes of preventing any further thefts.

The latest incident occurred when a resident’s boat was stolen from the southern end of the island between Jan. 22 at 5 p.m. and Jan. 23 at 10 a.m. The 38-foot Fountain center console fishing boat was stolen from a lift sometime during that foggy evening.

Police are asking that anyone who has seen the boat or saw anything suspicious come forward with details. The boat has a blue lower hull and a white upper hull with a blue t-top.

A 31-foot Pursuit fishing boat stolen in December was later recovered by the U.S. Coast Guard in international waters north of Cuba. Thefts of motors from private lifts and from boat sales centers have also been an intermittent problem in recent months. Most recently, an outboard motor and fishing equipment were stolen from a boat docked at Caxambas court on the night of Jan. 17 or early morning of Jan. 18.

Such thefts in Naples appear to be up as well — another large, multiple engine boat was stolen from a Naples boat lift the night of Jan. 23. And just like the theft on Marco Island, it was the second in a month for that area.

Marco police are warning owners of boats, particularly of that size, to take extra precautions to secure their vessels. The reasons for the thefts can vary, said Marco Island Police Lieutenant Dave Baer, with some boats recovered after the fact and others sold for parts.

“It depends on what the bad guy wants to use the boats for,” he said.

Authorities are particularly keeping an eye on those larger boats with heftier horsepower, he said.

“If you had to prioritize these boats being used, the greater than 28 feet, center console boat, if it has triple engines, I’d call it a priority one target,” Baer said. “Greater than 26 feet, with two engines, it’s more of a priority two target.”

However, he said, that doesn’t mean owners should expend half the energy securing a smaller boat.

That’s why he and fellow officers are offering to come out to residents’ homes and help size up their security needs.

“I think what they gain by us coming out is we’ve got people who are trained, certified crime prevention specialists,” he said.

He pointed to the list of tips released by the city on Friday as ways to shore up security, but said residents could benefit from getting one-on-one help from an officer on a specific boat and home’s needs.

“We’re looking at the geography of the house, the dock, how isolated it is, how close it is to open water,” he said.

Prevention goes a long way, but the department is trying to push another P: partnerships.

“This is something we want to put a stop to and the two things we need to focus on here are prevention and partnerships,” he said. “While they seem to be well-worn words, they’re well-worn because they’re the only ways to stop this.”

As always, he said, communication from neighbor to neighbor and neighbor to police are crucial in preventing and solving this type of crime. You can call the Marco Island Police Department at 389-5050.

Boat security tips

– Move the boat lift’s electrical power shut-off inside the house or garage

– Secure the boat to the lift

– Secure the lift to the dock

– Install an alarm system on the dock

– Install a GPS-enabled alarm system on the boat

– Install a covert fuel cut-off or ignition/battery switch

– Install exterior lighting that shines on the vessel and dock

– Remove the keys from the boat when not in use

– Remove all valuables, including GPS, radar and radios