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River Safety

Members of the Ada County Sheriff's Marine Patrol are reminding people to stay safe and follow the rules while on the water.

"We want to see everyone wearing proper safety gear, including a properly-fitting life jacket, when they float the river or boat on the lakes and reservoirs," says Deputy Rob Fowler.  "It's not just a safety issue.  It's also the law."

Fowler says 90% of drownings happen because the person wasn't wearing a life jacket or was wearing a life jacket that didn't fit or was improperly fastened.

Idaho law requires that all people aboard a vessel have a US Coast Guard-approved personal flotation device (life jacket).   They also must have a sound-producing device (whistle) capable of being heard from a 1/2 mile away. 

"A lot of people don't realize that rafts, inner tubes connected to each other, homemade boats and rafts - most of the river gear we see - is, by law, a vessel and fall under this law," says Fowler.

The fine for not having a life jacket is $94.00. The fine for not having a whistle is $68.00 

Click here for simple water safety tips

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Dangers of inhalant abuse or “huffing”

Inhalants are some of the most common products you have sitting around your house. And they are also among the most popular – and most deadly – substance kids abuse. According to the annual “Monitoring the Future” national poll, about one in six children will use inhalants by the time they are in 8th grade. The same report notes that inhalants are most popular with younger teens.

Inhalants are breathable chemical vapors that produce psychoactive (mind-altering) effects. Although people are exposed to volatile solvents and other inhalants in the home and in the workplace, many do not think of "inhalable" substances as drugs because most of them were never meant to be used that way.

Young people are likely to abuse inhalants, in part, because inhalants are readily available and inexpensive. Parents should monitor these chemicals and substances closely so that children do not abuse them.

click here to learn more about huffing and its effect on young people

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Sheriff encourages Congress to support early intervention programs

A long-time advocate for early intervention programs for at-risk youth, Ada County Sheriff Gary Raney is urging our nation’s leaders to invest in kids now to avoid crime in the future.

The Sheriff was in Washington D.C. last week to participate in a Congressional meeting about effective ways to break the cycle of crime and violence in communities while also saving taxpayers money in the future...more

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Kuna Officer of the Year Award

The Kuna Grange has named ACSO Deputy Ryan Jensen the 2010 Kuna Officer of the Year. With his selection, Deputy Jensen will now be in the running for the Idaho Grange Police Officer of the Year, a title earned by Kuna deputies in 2008 and 2009.