River Patrol

The Winnebago County Sheriff’s Police River Patrol consists of two officers assigned permanently to the unit during the boating season. The primary function of this unit is to patrol the Rock River, which runs through the center of the county. The river patrol will respond to any call for service on the river, as well as stranded boaters, river rescues, etc.

The unit has three boats that it uses on a regular basis. The main water craft is a 300hp Sea-Ark 23-foot rescue boat. The Sea-Ark is the workhorse of the river patrol and is used to tow large water hazards and disabled boats, as well as respond to calls for service.

The River Patrol also has a 23-foot deck boat which is used primarily for routine river patrols and call response. A third boat is used for river patrol in shallow areas in the northern parts of the county. This boat can also easily be transported to any other body of water within the county to address issues there as well.

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