Ga DNR LE - Capt. England Wins National Boating Safety Award news release 10-24-14

DNR Law Enforcement Captain Wins National Boating Safety Award

SOCIAL CIRCLE, GA – The Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Law Enforcement Division is pleased to announce that Captain Mike England was presented the National Safe Boating Council’s 2014 Boating Safety Award at the 55^th Annual National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) Conference in Bar Harbor, Maine.

According to the Council’s web site, the Boating Safety Award is bestowed upon a state or local government individual who is involved in boating safety and who has demonstrated outstanding performance in any area of the program, including but not limited to enforcement, education, search and rescue, navigational aids, or registration or titling.  

“We are very proud of Captain England’s commitment to safe boating in Georgia,” said DNR Col. Eddie Henderson, director of Law Enforcement. “His hard work and successes in improved boating legislation will benefit Georgia boaters for many years to come.”

England, a 24-year veteran with the DNR Law Enforcement played a key role in the Department’s efforts to pass historic boating legislation during the 2013 legislative session, conducting research, writing drafts of the law and providing institutional knowledge throughout the process. As a result, Georgia now has a .08 blood alcohol concentration limit for boating under the influence (BUI) and mandatory boater education, which requires all boaters born on or after January 1, 1998 to take a NASBLA-approved course or obtain Georgia DNR-approved rental education and satisfy a safety checklist.  

Also during the 2013 session, Georgia became the first state to pass and enact the Interstate Boating Violator Compact, largely due to England’s work. South Carolina has since passed the legislation as well.

In 2003, England started the Hull Identification Number (HIN) inspection process. Since then, Rangers have assigned over 16,500 state HINs to vessels, making Georgia one of the top three states in the nation for HIN accuracy. He also manages the boating under the influence suspension process for Georgia and works with numerous boating safety campaigns in the state and nationally including Wear It, promoting life jacket wear and NASBLA’s Operation Dry Water, a nationwide BUI enforcement effort.

Capt. England, who resides in Oconee County, has served on numerous NASBLA Committees during his career and is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy Session 237.                                                     

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The Georgia Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division is committed to conserving our natural resources and protecting the people we serve through fair and vigorous law enforcement, quality education, and community involvement.