Guidelines for Documenting Violations

In order for law enforcement authorities to respond to a reported violation in a timely manner and to successfully apprehend and prosecute violators, certain information is critical. This information must be accurately documented and reported to authoities immediately.

REMEMBER: WITNESSES SHOULD NOT APPROACH OR CONTACT VIOLATORS.
The following list is provided as a suggested guideline for obtaining and documenting necessary information. Not every element below will pertain to a given incident. Also, other elements may be appropriate that are not listed here.

1. Type of violation (What):
   
   
2. Date of violation (When):
   
   
3. Time of violation (When):
   
   
4. Location of violation (Where - be precise):
   
   
5. Responsible Party (Who – provide names and detailed descriptions of people involved in potential violation (gender, ethnicity, age, height, weight, hair, clothing, etc.)):
   
   
6. Type of equipment used in violation:
   
   
7. Boat or Aircraft characteristics (if a vessel is involved)
   
   
   1. Identification/license numbers:
      
      
   2. Name/Home Port:
      
      
   3. Color(s):
      
      
   4. Length:
      
      
   5. Type (e.g. sailboat, cabin cruiser, cargo ship, jet ski, helicopter, single-engine plane)
      
      
   6. Other unique design characteristics (e.g. special markings, cranes, towers, booms, lights, etc.):
      
      
   7. Last known direction headed:
      
      
   8. Speed (approximate):
      

   
   
8. Behavior of any animals affected prior to, during, and after incident:
   
   
9. Weather on scene:
   
   
10. Sea conditions:
    
    
11. Photographs/Video taken or available:
    
    
12. Description of violation or comments: