Safety comes first in harbor patrol issue

The Harbor Patrol.

It’s a pretty safe bet to say this is one of the most sought-after jobs in the county Sheriff’s Department.

Deputies spend the day cruising Newport Harbor on boats. The sea air, the ocean breezes, the calm, lapping waves make for a much better assignment than, say, gang detail in Stanton.

That’s not to say the job is all good times. The Harbor Patrol keeps unsafe boaters in check, monitoring those who would speed or drive a boat under the influence. They are often the first to the scene when boaters go missing or capsize and have saved countless lives over the years with their proactive approach to harbor safety.

But the question now arises, who should control the Harbor Patrol — the county sheriff or the city of Newport Beach?

To be sure, the county sheriffs have done the job just fine for as long as anyone can remember. Oh, sure, they have their detractors, but our first inclination is to use the old “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” line.

It may be more complicated than that, though.

The idea of a change in control sprang forward this year at the county supervisor level. New Supervisor John Moorlach resurrected the idea (it had been talked about in 2003) of the city’s control, noting that the county Sheriff’s Department says it is 11% understaffed — the implication being that maybe the county would be better served redeploying those deputies assigned to the harbor elsewhere. Indeed, there was even talk by some at the county supervisor level of charging Newport Beach a fee for the Harbor Patrol services.

It’s also important to note the sheriff doesn’t just patrol Newport Beach but Dana Point, Sunset Beach and Huntington Harbour as well.

As Newport Beach officials considered the idea of running their own Harbor Patrol, current deputies went into action, taking out ads in this newspaper and elsewhere to warn the public off such a move.

Indeed, Sheriff Mike Carona appears equally opposed and responded to the takeover threat by suggesting, tit for tat, that he get a chance to bid for police services in Newport Beach.

Most recently, Newport Beach City Council members complained that deputies have threatened that if they push for the city takeover, the result could be a rough political campaign for them in November of 2008.

It looks like it’s time to throttle back for a second.

If the supervisors no longer want to patrol the harbors for Newport Beach and use those deputies elsewhere, that’s not a Newport Beach decision; that’s a county decision. The supervisors should make clear their intentions as soon as possible.

Likewise, if the county decides it wants to start charging Newport Beach for the services, then it’s only right that the city gets a chance to determine if it can do the job for less money.

Until those items are addressed, all of this talk seems way too premature.

As we said before, the Harbor Patrol plays a key role in boating safety. The public deserves high-quality service — whoever is doing the job.