CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department's lake unit plans to increase patrols this weekend on Lake Norman. It will mark the first official weekend of summer and often is one of the busiest of the season.
The patrols coincide with a national campaign called "Operation Dry Water," which encourages boaters to remain sober on the water. In North Carolina, the blood alcohol limit for boat drivers is .08 percent. Officers will stop boats to make sure the driver isn't intoxicated and to perform basic safety inspections.
"It's an all out effort to curb boating while impaired on Lake Norman and make boating more safe for everyone out here," said Sgt. Mark Faulkenberry.
Faulkenberry said officers saw a decrease in arrests for several summers until 2011. He's not sure why there was an increase last year but hopes to resume the prior trend in 2012.
