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NEIGHBORHOOD MARINE WATCH Bill Guenther, Founder/Coordinator, radioman3029@comcast.net

PUNTA GORDA ISLES
NEIGHBORHOOD MARINE WATCH PROGRAM

ATTRACTS 63 VOLUNTEERS

The Punta Gorda Isles Neighborhood Marine Watch formed in May of 2009, eight years and nine months ago, with a
team of 12 volunteers who patrolled the canals of the waterfront community of Punta Gorda Isles at night. Due to the
program’s success, the PGI Neighborhood Marine Watch now has more than 63 dedicated volunteers watching the
50-plus miles of PGI canals. The objectives and mission of the Punta Gorda Isles Neighborhood Marine Watch include:
providing nighttime on water and land surveillance for all Punta Gorda Isles homeowners, acting as a deterrent to those
individuals who may have thoughts involving a theft of a boat or other marine equipment, as well as illegal netting
activity; and to promote an interest in community volunteering.

The Punta Gorda Isles Neighborhood Marine Watch reports suspicious activity directly to the Punta Gorda Police
Department's night dispatcher. The PGPD has said that “from the period 2009 to 2015 marine crime in our area dropped
85%.” Included in that percentage is enforcement of rules concerning commercial netting of mullet in the PGI canals
during the FWC annual Mullet “Night Closure” in Punta Gorda.

For more information on becoming a volunteer, contact Bill Guenther at radioman3029@comcast.net.

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