Clueless Alaskan Troopers??

Alright, I'm sitting here looking at TF and watching Alaskan State Troopers. They are talking to an AST that is new to the Cook inlet area (during salmon season) and not usually on Marine Patrol but is taking out a boat. His brief from another Trooper is "You shouldn't have any problems but if you do just call the Coast Guard" "Here on the Chartplotter is your Lat/Long, just read this off to them and they will come and get you." Come on really? I know most AST's are well rounded but if the guy is not that familiar would you really allow him to go out? I wouldn't.

knotheadcharters said:

Alright, I'm sitting here looking at TF and watching Alaskan State Troopers. They are talking to an AST that is new to the Cook inlet area (during salmon season) and not usually on Marine Patrol but is taking out a boat. His brief from another Trooper is "You shouldn't have any problems but if you do just call the Coast Guard" "Here on the Chartplotter is your Lat/Long, just read this off to them and they will come and get you." Come on really? I know most AST's are well rounded but if the guy is not that familiar would you really allow him to go out? I wouldn't.

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But it makes for good entertainment...you're watching it.

We admit to watching various shows like that, starting with Cops. Sometimes you are terribly impressed with how they handle something. Other times you just think that surely they should have received a reprimand at the minimum for how they handled something. Funny too how you see different attitudes among different police departments.

Well put BandB. I know some is for the entertainment value but just sitting on my boat any given weekend I believe there are those out there with this mentality. Sometimes you just have to say HMMM..

My favorite is still Cops-New Orleans episodes. Especially pre-Katrina. They loosened up a bit after Katrina. But they'd say things like, "Would you do something like this home in Pittsburgh?" Now the truthful answer would be "No, Why do you think I came here." And the one I love, "Do you think you can come down here to Mardi Gras and just do anything you want?" Answer should be, "Duh, Isn't that why people come here?" They just showed them so tourist unfriendly.

I compared it to a show that was on, "Miami Beach Patrol" or something like that. The beach patrol and the police did everything they could to avoid taking someone to jail. They'd have a drunk guys friends take him back to the hotel. I've seen them take an older drunk man back to the boarding house he lived in. They'd warn and only jail if they had to come back. Make people pour their drinks out. But they knew that they depended on tourists and throwing them in jail didn't help. In fact they'd say, "We just want to be sure you have a good time and are safe here."

Some towns you'd see them find one joint in a car or a pipe and treat the guy like he was Pablo Escobar reincarnated. Others, they'd warn or they'd write a citation and send the guy on his way. First example it was like major criminal. Second was like they knew kids did it and just told them they couldn't drive around with it.

Would see one town where officers were commando macho types and the next where they were very compassionate. Some where they seemed to go way overboard and others where their conduct seemed by the book all the way.

Cook Inlet is a VERY dangerous place to be on a boat, especially when the tide changes and especially if you're up near Knik Arm.

I find it hard to believe they'd send a rookie trooper out alone in a boat with no more instruction than that. Like BandB said, it makes for good TV.

GFC said:

Cook Inlet is a VERY dangerous place to be on a boat, especially when the tide changes and especially if you're up near Knik Arm.

I find it hard to believe they'd send a rookie trooper out alone in a boat with no more instruction than that. Like BandB said, it makes for good TV.

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And understand they are not alone. Complete camera crew. It's like when Marlin Perkins use to have his show. Here we are, just the two of us deep in the wilds of Africa, facing this enormous elephant by ourselves. (Well, other than the 40 people involved in the production who are all around here).

Remember guys... its TV...entertainment... people WANT to see a train wreck...

PLUS PLUS PLUS he isnt "alone"... the camera boat is following him around... he ISNT ALONE...LOL

I am guessing that it made good tv but it is not my experience at all. I have been spot checked by AST's in Prince William Sound and they knew their stuff. Very professional and no BS at all. One tandem were women and they knew the marine side of things much better than I expected. The gals told me they had a boatload of different parts to keep weekend warriors making forward progress in spite of themselves. Two most popular items......gas and batteries. I asked if they carry diesel and she smiled and said she has never had a call for diesel in 3 years. Gas, every weekend.

GFC said:

Cook Inlet is a VERY dangerous place to be on a boat, especially when the tide changes and especially if you're up near Knik Arm.

I find it hard to believe they'd send a rookie trooper out alone in a boat with no more instruction than that. Like BandB said, it makes for good TV.

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It can be if you don't pay attention. Not many folks boat in Knik Arm. I have had my 20' river boat in Cook Inlet many many times and I know it can change in a instant, but when you hook a 200lb halibut (Big Flounder for those on the east coast) it is all worth it.

It's sad, but u are absolutely right. Sportsmen are their own worse enemies. They fish and game troopers have never been anything but professional and helpful with my in counters with them.

There are not enough if them out there in my opinion. WAY more stupid people then they can possibly manage with their meager numbers.