County considers life vest law
VESTS: Enforcement could be quite difficult
| Friday, Feb 26 2010 08:36 PM
Last Updated Friday, Feb 26 2010 08:36 PM
Life vest workshops will be held on:
* At 6 p.m. on March 10 in the veterans room of the Lake Isabella senior and veterans building at 6405 Lake Isabella Blvd.
* At 6 p.m. on March 17 in the first-floor conference room of the Kern County Public Services Building at 2700 M St. in Bakersfield.
For nearly two years, Kern County officials have been pondering whether requiring swimmers to wear life vests in the Kern River will help save lives.
Now they are ready for the public to chime in on the issue at two public meetings next month.
Kern County Parks and Recreation Director Bob Lerude said the issue has been remarkably complicated, and the county has spent time looking at jurisdiction on the river, data about drownings and talking to river rafting businesses, who have a unique perspective.
"From the county perspective, and the raft companies', it would be very difficult to try to enforce an ordinance like that," Lerude said.
But he cautioned that the county's research hasn't included the thoughts and concerns of the people who recreate in the Kern River.
"They may have some ideas we haven't thought of," he said.
Supervisor Michael Rubio first called for life vests on the river in July of 2008.
He said Friday that there are hurdles to making the law a reality.
"How do we enforce it?" he asked.
But even just discussing the issue publicly -- as winter transitions into the warmer spring months -- could have a powerful impact on getting the word out and encouraging people to keep themselves safe.
"Have fun. But be safe. Be smart. Respect the river," he said.
Kern County Undersheriff Marty Williamson said the two toughest challenges to the life vest law are issues facing his department.
A county rule wouldn't cover all of the Kern River.
As the river flows down from the Sierra Nevada mountains to the valley, "you run from federal, to some county, to city jurisdictions," Williamson said.
Then there is the challenge of enforcement.
Lerude said rafting companies, which already require their clients to wear life vests on raft trips, say catching violators on the river would be tough.
There are just too many points on the river where someone can enter the water.
For Williamson the question of enforcement is all about using limited numbers of deputies to provide the most service to county residents.
"Are we going to take valuable resources and put them on the river to cite people when we're going to be running low on cops on the street?" he said.
That doesn't mean the Sheriff's Department takes river safety lightly, Williamson said.
The department periodically runs public service announcements and advertisements in the Los Angeles area to warn people of the risks of swimming in the Kern River. Many of the Kern's victims have been visitors from outside the county, he said.
Lerude said most victims are young adults who either don't know how to swim or have been drinking alcohol -- or both.
"It's usually adults, people who you think would know better or at least would have better common sense," Williamson agreed. "From my experience back in search and rescue, alcohol isn't the cause but it's certainly a factor."
But Lerude said the county also has to take into account statistics that show that the Kern River is not the most likely place for a person to drown in Kern County.
"The vast majority of drownings were in swimming pools -- not in the river, not in lakes," he said.
But Williamson said it's important to continue review of the issue and get the public involved.
"We want to see what the thought process is, what the support is. It's just part of a comprehensive investigation," he said.
