Alameda Police Marine Patrol to Help Remove Sunken Boat from Estuary

With cooperation from Cal-Recycle, California State Land Commission, the Oakland Police Department, and the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office - Environmental Division, the Alameda Police Department’s Marine Patrol (APD) has coordinated the efforts to remove a sunken boat from the estuary.

Originating from the joint, multi-agency, multi-million dollar Oakland Estuary Cleanup Project from 2013, APD’s Marine Patrol utilized the project’s resources to abate a derelict vessel which sank on the Oakland side of the estuary, near the High Street Bridge in May.

“A lot of resources have been used to abate and clean up the Oakland/Alameda Estuary,” said Chief Paul Rolleri.  “We certainly do not want the problem to return." 

The abatement operation started soon after the boat was observed during routine patrols in April. Unfortunately, prior to Oakland being able to remove the derelict vessel, the boat sank and settled on the Oakland side near the High Street Bridge.  APD’s Marine Patrol quickly identified the registered owner and forwarded an environmental crime report to the Alameda County’s District Attorney’s Office.  Subsequently, working with Cal-Recycle and the Land Commission, the owner agreed to release all interests in the boat in order to expedite the cleanup.  Based on an agreement from the 2013 Cleanup Project, neither city will incur costs from having the vessel removed.

“The Police Department will do everything it can to enforce all laws on the water ways,” said Chief Rolleri.  “We will continue to work with our partners to prevent environmental incidents. We will not tolerate people using the estuary as a dumping ground.”