Bill would require peace officers on cruise ships
Share this pageSeeking to improve public safety on the high seas, a state senator introduced a bill Friday that would require cruise ships sailing from California ports to have a peace officer on board.
If the measure passes, California would have the most stringent state regulations on the $35.7-billion industry, which has come under congressional and public scrutiny after several high-profile cases of missing people, passengers overboard and sexual assault in recent years.
“We’ve got air marshals on planes with a couple hundred passengers, but we’ve got no one on board the cruise ships with 10 times the number of passengers,” said state Sen. Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), the bill’s author.
The peace officers, whose salaries would be funded by a $1-a-day passenger fee, also would serve as licensed marine engineers to monitor compliance with environmental laws that Simitian has championed.
Full story on Los Angeles Times website