Each year, at or around the beginning of May, boaters descend on Lake Charles for a two-week long party.  The party, otherwise known as “Contraband Days”, glorifies the life and adventures of the legendary pirate, Jean Lafitte.  Lafitte supposedly frequented the bayous and lakes of south Louisiana and the search continues today for his buried treasure.

The two-week long festivities, based along the Lake Charles Civic Center seawall, revolve around the boating public.  Activities include the sailboat regatta, boat parades, powerboat races of all forms and fashion, a waterborne fireworks demonstration, and even a bath tub race on Lake Charles.

As everyone knows, there is an underlying problem involved when you mix boats and partying.  Alcohol and a general disregard for boating safety can quickly turn a good time into a dangerous situation.  The cure for this dilemma is to flood the area with law enforcement personnel.

During the first weekend of the 2001 Contraband Days festivities, Agents from the Region 5 Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement Division were out it force, along with assistance from the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Ward 3 Marshall’s Office.  This show of officer presence has helped to remind the public of the importance of boating safety.  The reduction in the number of violations from previous years has been evident in the number of citations issued for the first weekend of the Contraband Days.  During the first weekend, there were approximately 80 citations issued by Region 5 Agents.  These citations included two D.W.I.’s, several “no wake zone” violations, and an array of other class-one citations ranging from no boat registrations to failure to meet personal flotation device requirements.

The Contraband Days festivities culminated with Region 5 Enforcement Agents issuing a total of 127 citations of the types described above.  In all, four D.W.I. arrests were made on the water.  The most notable factors were the courtesy of the boaters, and the lower number of citations written than in the past.  We are very happy to report that, unlike in the past, there were no boating accidents or boating related fatalities.  Hopefully, the 2002 Contraband Days will be a repeat of the 2001 Contraband Days.