- December 6, 2025
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Around 10 a.m. on a weekday, the waters near Longboat Pass are calm aside from a handful of boaters. A light breeze breaks the air, and light waves slosh against the Longboat Key Police Department marine patrol vessel.
At the helm is Sergeant Adam Montfort, who oversees the day-to-day operations of the marine patrol unit. With him are Officers Michael Mathis and Dallas Troyer.
The three frequently patrol Longboat Key's waters together, have a solid connection and wealth of experience.
A little after 9 a.m. on a Wednesday, the waters are quiet. Amid the natural sounds, Fleetwood Mac’s “Rhiannon” plays faintly from a radio on the boat.
“Hey Dallas, who sings this?” Montfort asked Troyer.
“The Eagles?” Troyer guessed. Country is more his style.
Montfort joined the Longboat Key Police Department in 2021 following a career as a deputy in New York. His career there led him to become a marine patrol officer on the Hudson River, as well as 4 years undercover in the narcotics unit.
Troyer recently became fully trained for marine patrol and is one of the youngest at the Longboat Key Police Department.
After growing up in Florida, Troyer started his law enforcement career in Pueblo, Colorado for about two years before joining the Longboat Key department in 2024.
A little over a year ago, the Longboat Key Police Department had one full-time marine patrol officer and a couple of part-time helpers.
Now, there are eight officers trained or nearly done with their training to be on the water.
It’s a big addition in training hours for the officers, but an important increase for the Longboat Key Police Department to have a more dominant presence on the water.
The busiest times for the marine patrol unit are holiday weekends, like July 4 or Memorial Day, when boaters pack the Jewfish Key sandbar like sardines.
Common calls range from swimmers in distress to residents calling about loud music coming from boats. There are sometimes more serious calls, too, like vessel collisions or serious injuries.
On the marine patrol vessel is a fully loaded med kit with life-saving gear like an AED and pressure bandages. Montfort always has a tourniquet on him in case of a serious injury, like someone getting hit with a propeller.
“We want to be prepared, God forbid anything happens,” Montfort said.
When not dispatched to a call, the officers patrol the water checking registration stickers on liveaboard sailboats or cruising down Longboat’s coast.
As Montfort captains the vessel, Mathis stands to his side and waves to every person on the beach or in the water.
Community relations are a pillar for the Longboat Key Police Department.
It’s no different on the water.
As Montfort is at the helm of the 32-foot Yellowfin boat, he constantly scans the water for marine life like sea turtles, manatees and dolphins.
Getting to spend the days out on the water to keep the community safe is the focus. But for all the officers, seeing marine life is a bonus.
“That is probably one of the best parts of being on marine patrol is seeing all the marine life,” Mathis said.
The quiet Wednesday morning continued as Montfort commanded the vessel to Greer Island, the tip of the island.
It’s one of their biggest problem areas, Montfort said.
Despite the heavy presence of signs saying “Motorboats Prohibited,” the officers said they frequently catch vessels in the exclusionary zone.
Plus, on busy weekends, nearby residents often call the police department to curb loud music emanating from the boats. Having a more active presence on the water helps deter these behaviors, Montfort said.
The hours of marine patrol vary and are mostly supplemented by overtime, according to Montfort. The squad makes it work with overtime, but having at least one additional officer would help with manpower and balance the shifts.
Near Greer Island and Jewfish Key are local charter boats. Montfort and the rest of the marine patrol unit get to know many of the frequent boaters like fishing captains, parasail charters and kayak tour guides.
It’s a tight-knit community, Montfort said.
“Everyone knows everyone out here, which is great,” he added. “Especially in emergency situations, everybody chips in if necessary.”
Just off of Jewfish Key is a “No Wake” zone, and while the officers position off Greer Island, Montfort spots a personal watercraft zipping through the zone on a plane, meaning the front end "lifts" out of the water.
The watercraft slows down for a minute, and the officers watch closely. They give her a chance to see if she notices the signs. But after a brief pause, she resumes her high speed.
“Now she’s going to get stopped. We’re going to have a chat,” Montfort said.
Mathis and Troyer grab a handrail as Montfort quickly spins the boat around, pushes the throttle fully forward, and activates the boat’s lights. The Yellowfin can reach 60 mph — quick enough to catch up to the watercraft.
It’s a routine stop for the officers. Troyer said why they stopped her and asked her for her driver’s license and boater safety card.
As Troyer and Mathis talk to the speedster, Montfort is still at the console. He’s scanning the nearby area, keeping an eye on the three Ws that dictate boat movement: water, waves and wind.
Having more manpower on the water is crucial in situations like this, Montfort explained. Without Troyer and Mathis, Montfort would have had to conduct the stop by himself. It’s complicated sometimes when one person has to juggle talking to a stopped person, keeping control of the vessels and running information through dispatch.
After confirming through dispatch the woman doesn’t have any active warrants, the officers let the out-of-town boater go with a verbal warning.
It’s the most activity the officers had all morning, but it’s not always that quiet.
Montfort and Mathis both have their own stories of saving people on the water. Sometimes it’s swimmers who get caught in currents and drift toward the Intracoastal Waterway.
“The ICW is like I-4 on the weekends,” Montfort said, explaining how busy the waters get.
From Jewfish Key, the officers head south toward the Village, now on the bay side of Longboat Key.
The dispatch radio is always the loudest voice on the boat, and the officers tune in intently, waiting for dispatch to call on them.
But on quiet mornings, the radio still faintly plays. This time, around noon, it’s “Maneater” by Daryl Hall & John Oates.
“Hey Dallas, who sings this one?” Montfort joked.
“Fleetwood Mac?” Troyer guessed.
Not Close.
The three officers spend a lot of time on patrol together and know they can rely on one another when a situation arises.
“It’s nice when I have people on my squad who are happy to be here and want to come do their job,” Montfort said.
Montfort said the department continues encouraging any officer interested in marine patrol to get trained and add to the department’s growing fleet.
