Bay constables keep watch over LI Sound

At a top speed of about 25 mph, M4, the Town of Huntington Harbormaster's unsentimentally named workboat, wouldn't win any high-speed chases.

But that's not often a problem on Long Island Sound, where Huntington's floating cadre of bay constables, like those in other towns along both shores, patrol the waters as do their counterparts on the streets. Even the Fourth of July holiday proved tranquil.

All four of the bay constables' watercraft were on duty for the holiday this year, with officers eyeing the celebrating boaters for signs of distress -- or excess.

Constables Gregg Morga, a seasonal constable and former Nassau County police lieutenant, and Mike Callahan, a full-time constable who also works part-time with the Northport Village police, spent their holiday night shift on M4. Callahan was at the wheel.

"Want to get some inspections ready?" he called out to Morga, who shuffled through the paperwork as M4 chugged out of Huntington Harbor. Nearly every stop is an occasion for an inspection -- checking lights and making sure that boats have life jackets, flares, and other emergency supplies at hand.

"Tonight, we'll be very happy if everyone got in safe," Morga said.

With a few hours to go before the holiday fireworks were to start, Callahan positioned M4 near the Box, a speed-restricted channel next to Sand City by Hobart Beach.

They soon spotted a small motorboat that zipped through the Box. Callahan flipped on the blue lights and a harsh horn. The motorboat stopped, its captain evidently not noticing the buoys that advertised the speed zone.

Morga started to inspect the boat -- standard procedure for a traffic stop like this one.

"I'll just give him a warning," Morga said. "I think this warning will stop him from ever doing it again."

As on other stops, the motorboat kept floating away from the constables' craft. They don't tie the two vessels together. The metal M4 bobbing in the water could easily smash the smaller boat -- just one of the challenges of waterborne law enforcement.

"It's definitely harder," Morga said. "You're in a liquid environment. Everything's moving. It never stops."

Callahan said the constables are always on guard.

People "steal boats. We get domestics out here," he said. "Everything we get on land, we get out here, too."

Later that night, M4 traveled toward Asharoken, where it was tasked with shooing away errant boaters who got too close to the floating barge that was to shoot off fireworks for the village display.

But no one strayed close to the protected zone, so there wasn't much to do except wait and watch the sunset. Morga pulled out a disposable film camera to snap a few shots. The two would be on duty until 4 a.m.

Bay constables' crucial role

In charge of all aspects of the Town of Huntington's waterfront, the harbormaster runs the town's three marinas, a launching service, and is in charge of boat ramps and mooring permits.

Bay constables constitute the harbormaster's law-enforcement arm. There are four full-time constables and one part-time constable working year-round, and 15 seasonal constables that work Memorial Day through Labor Day.