A boat crash on Chappaquiddick earlier this year prompted two Island police departments to designate more officers to harbor patrols to better enforce the law on the water. 

Both Edgartown and Oak Bluffs police got permission from their select boards in recent weeks to have their officers handle incidents on the water after an allegedly drunk Cotuit man crashed his 43-foot yacht on Chappy in May.

The departments said the appointments largely solidify their ability to respond to incidents in their harbors, but wouldn’t really change how officers patrol or function. 

Under state law, boating accidents and incidents where boaters are under the influence fall under the purview of harbormasters, state police and environmental police.

Neither Oak Bluffs or Edgartown plan to have officers regularly on boats, but the new designations allow them to step in when the other departments aren’t available.

Oak Bluffs police chief Jonathan Searle didn’t expect to see much difference in day-to-day operations.

“This is just legalese, the designation as harbor patrol,” he said.

Emily deBettencourt, the Oak Bluffs harbor master, agreed it was a formality. 

“The town administrator brought the idea to myself and Chief Searle,” she said. “We both felt it was a good idea as a proactive measure.”

Edgartown police Chief Bruce McNamee asked the town’s select board to appoint officers as harbor patrol in June.

Chief McNamee told the Gazette that while the town’s officers had been appointed as harbor patrol before, there had been a number of retirements and new hires that meant not every officer was officially appointed. After the Cape Cod man allegedly crashed a sport boat onto Chappaquiddick while intoxicated and there were no Edgartown police or environmental police available to respond, Chief McNamee decided it was time to renew.

“Environmental police are the primary enforcers of maritime law,” he said. “It’s a small agency and there is a lot of ocean to cover.”

Oak Bluffs town administrator Deborah Potter recommended doing the same earlier this month after Edgartown.