The Planning and Natural Resources Department’s internal investigation into what Coral Bay boaters viewed as heavy-handed actions by its officers hasn’t wrapped up, Planning spokesman Jamal Nielsen said Thursday.
“We are waiting for the attorney general’s office to conclude its investigation,” Nielsen said.
Staff from the attorney general’s office met with about two dozen boaters Aug. 10 in Coral Bay, according to Alan Mohler, who owns Coral Bay Marine.
James McCall, the director of the Special Investigation Unit in the attorney general’s office, was one of the attorney general’s staff at the Aug. 10 meeting.
“We’re still collecting information,” McCall said.
He said a follow-up meeting will be held with the Coral Bay boaters by the attorney general’s office.
Nielsen said Planning is taking in account the videos and photos taken on one day the Planning officers made their sweep through Coral Bay.
Planning Commissioner Alicia Barnes initiated the investigation July 27 after a July 26 meeting on proposed mooring and anchoring fee increases held at the Westin Resort and Villas. At the meeting boaters complained about the officers’ actions in Coral Bay.
According to the boaters, Planning officers cut mooring lines, put violation stickers on boats they believed weren’t registered, demanded pedestrians show their identification and waved guns around.
One security camera video shot July 25 captured images of three officers conversing in the parking area near the dinghy dock. The video was posted on YouTube. While Roberto Tapia, who heads Enforcement, has claimed the rifle was on a strap over the officer’s shoulder, the video clearly shows that wasn’t the case.
Tapia said in the press release issued when the internal investigation was announced that his officers were involved in a week-long initiative in Coral Bay to rid the area of illegal moorings and to enforce the law on “many” unregistered vessels in that area.
Tapia said this effort was initiated by written correspondence and verbal requests from St. John residents who have registered vessels and legal moorings and by concerned Coral Bay residents who want to see increased enforcement in the bay.
Boaters said they only wanted help in getting rid of sunken vessels.
