‘A way for us to be seen’: Gallatin Police Department launches boat team

GALLATIN, Tenn. (WKRN) – The Gallatin Police Department has launched a new boat team, just in time for a busy Fourth of July weekend.

The patrol squad – six officers in total at the moment – will monitor a small, busy stretch of Old Hickory Lake, starting from ramps at either Bull Creek or Station Camp Creek. From reminding people of the rules on the water, to issuing BUIs, to helping those in need, the team will maintain an active presence on Old Hickory Lake through the rest of the summer, but more than anything, they just want to make their presence known.

“This is a side of the community that we don’t get to see much, patrolling the streets,” explained Gallatin Police Lt. Jake Myers. “Being out here on the water, this is still a part of our community, but we just get to interact with people we don’t normally get to interact with, and this is a way for us to be seen, the police department to be seen out here, try to keep the waterways safe.”

Myers said Gallatin’s boat team will have a fluid, non-set schedule on the water. In time, he hopes the department will find a spot to dock their boat in order to expedite any possible rescue operations.

“We’re used to laws when it comes to patrolling the city, but getting out here on the lake, it’s a whole different ballgame,” said Myers. “It seems, so far, that the community loves us being out here. We love being out here with our community, and again, just be seen. We’re just another way to be seen and let them know we’re out here for them.”

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