Orange County native plans to reach out to boating community.
 | | | Photo by: Orange County Sheriff’s Department | | Lt. Mark Long | | |
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CORONA DEL MAR – After an extensive search for a new harbormaster to oversee the Orange County Sheriff’s Harbor Patrol following former harbormaster Lt. Erin Giudice’s transfer to Jail Operations at the Theo Lacy Facility, Lt. Mark Long has been appointed to lead the Harbor Patrol.
Long was appointed to the position May 8 -- and it was a move that the Orange County native happily accepted. When asked what moved him to seek the position, he half-jokingly responded “the view.
“The harbor, to me, provided an opportunity to explore a different aspect of the Sheriff’s Department -- and it’s also the challenge of learning something new,” he explained.
With more than 23 years of law enforcement experience, including patrol operations, custody and administrative responsibilities, 47-year-old Long said he is well prepared for his new duties. Despite his not-so-extensive boating experience, the avid bicyclist and runner has some experience with vessels and grew up around on-the water activities.
“All law enforcement is related, so I don’t think that I am at a disadvantage not having worked here (at the Harbor Patrol) it’s just a different side of law enforcement,” he explained.
Getting acquainted with the boating community, stakeholders and interest groups in the harbor is at the top of Long’s to-do list as he and the Harbor Patrol are working to reach out to the boating community. In the past few weeks, he has attended several yacht club opening day celebrations and has heard from many local boaters.
Yachts club bridges are being invited to take tours of Harbor Patrol headquarters and participate meet with the new harbormaster. “I think the overriding theme is continuing to improve relationships and trying to reach out and talk to everybody the Harbor Patrol touches,” Long said. “We look for opportunities to provide value to the community.”
This article first appeared in the May 2009 issue of The Log Newspaper. All or parts of the information contained in this article might be outdated. |
