The Berrien County Sheriff's Department maintains a marine division with a statutory responsibility to investigate water related deaths and the enforcement of the marine laws. At its disposal, the Marine Division has a fleet of various sized vessels and watercraft.
Berrien County has 58 inland lakes and three rivers of which the Sheriff's Department has primary responsibility for patrolling. Joint responsibility is shared with the U.S. Coast Guard for patrolling 35 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline within our county.
The Marine Division also has a fleet of snowmobiles that are used for patrolling trails.
Other responsibilities include teaching boater safety classes. For more information contact the Marine Unit.
Michigan Boater Safety Laws (PDF)
2010 Boater Safety Class Schedule
June 19 – Buchanan Twp. Fire Dept.
15301 Main St. Buchanan
June 27 – Berrien Springs Oronoko Twp. Public Safety Build.
4411 E. Snow Rd., Berrien Springs
July 10 – Berrien County Sheriff’s Dept. Training Facility
7110 Angling Rd., Coloma
July 24 – Berrien County Sheriff’s Dept. Training Facility
7110 Angling Rd., Coloma
August 1 – Berrien County Sheriff’s Dept. Training Facility
7110 Angling Rd., Coloma
The classes are FREE and open to students ages 12 years old and up.
Pre-registration is required,
To register, please email marinediv@berriencounty.org.
Please include attendees legal name, date of birth, gender, address and phone number. Please provide a parental contact phone number for students ages 17 and under. You will also be asked to bring a sack lunch.
Once registered on-line, you will receive a returned email with your registration confirmation.
Reminder…..Any person born after December 31, 1978, must have, in their possession, a valid Boater Safety Certificate in order to operate personal watercraft in the state of Michigan. Minimum age for operation is 14. Class size is limited and are subject fo filling up without notice.
Proctored exams are given at the end of one of our classes listed above. You must register to take the proctored exam at the web address above. State you will be taking the test only. Please bring your on-line certificate and arrive to the class location at 2:45pm to take the Michigan test. Upon successful completion of the test, you will receive a Michigan Safe Boater Certificate.
The BCSD is pleased to announce the formation of the Berrien County "Water Rescue Team" (WRT). The WRT will operate under the jurisdiction and supervision of the BCSO Marine Division. Members will be limited to "fulltime" police, fire and emergency services personal that will volunteer their time and receive specialized training in water rescue techniques. These men and women have already received numerous hours of training in their respective fields and will bring their experiences and expertise to the WRT.
For the past several years members of the community and emergency responders have been meeting to develop the WRT. With the increased use of the St. Joseph - Benton Harbor beaches and new housing developments on or near the water, we have identified a need for the WRT. The WRT will focus it's efforts and resources on the St. Joseph - Benton Harbor waterways and beaches, however will be available to respond to water emergencies through out Berrien County.
Due to the economic climate and increased budget constraints, there is no public funding available for this team. WRT members will volunteer their time and all funding for equipment and training will come from "tax exempt" donated funds. Hopefully as economic times improve so will funding sources.
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