Riga Police Inspector: Many Jet Ski Renters Lack Required Qualifications
During a patrol of Riga's waterways, inspectors from the Riga Municipal Police Water Safety Department note that many people rent jet skis without obtaining the necessary qualifications, facing fines and a two-year ban on acquiring the qualification.
Juris Jubalts, chief inspector of the Riga Municipal Police Water Safety Department, and inspector-rescuer Ksenija Niedola conducted a morning patrol of the city's waters after the holidays. Jubalts, who has been working in this role for 11 summers, started from the historic station on the shore of Ķīšezers. He observes that in recent years many people choose to spend their holidays with a rented jet ski but fail to inquire about the required qualification. "Then they encounter us. Then there is administrative liability and a fine starting from 100 euros, as well as a two-year ban on obtaining this qualification," says Jubalts.
The command center features computers and monitors on one side and a map of Riga covering the opposite wall. The chief inspector explains that this location is very convenient because all municipal waters, except a few closed lakes – Bābelītes ezers, Dambjapurva ezers, Velnezers, Gaiļezers, Bolderājas karjers, and some smaller ones – are navigable. During the patrol, inspectors wear life vests and apply SPF cream due to strong sun. In winter, the police can also operate from this station, with a second historic station in Vecāķi, from which it is more difficult to reach inland waters.
