California Could Require Cruise Ship Cops

A bill that would place ocean rangers on cruise ships that operate from California ports passed its first test on April 8, with the California Senate’s Public Safety Committee giving it unanimous approval, pushing it to the next step in the legislative process.

State Sen. Joe Simitian introduced the California Ocean Ranger program, saying that the cruise industry does not adequately protect its passengers from crime and has a poor record of self-policing its environmental law compliance.

Mr. Simitian wrote in the bill that the cruise industry “has failed to adopt adequate measures to protect passengers from theft, rape, assaults, and suspected homicides.” The bill says that the cruise lines would pay for the program through a $1 surcharge per passenger for each day the ocean ranger would be onboard.

The California proposal stipulates that the ranger be a licensed marine engineer and granted peace officer status, which in California gives the ranger the ability to make an arrest. According to the language of the bill, the ranger would be onboard for the entire duration of any cruise that calls at a California port, with special early debarkation arrangements for much longer itineraries.