Orange Beach, Ala. – (OBA) – A closed-door meeting in Orange Beach with Alabama Law Enforcement Agency secretary Hal Taylor could change how laws are enforced in Coastal Alabama waters. For an hour on Wednesday, Taylor listened to complaints about the Marine Patrol division. He was presented with grievances and evidence suggesting troopers are ticketing boaters without cause and without first issuing warnings.

Orange Beach Mayor Tony Kennon and Mobile County Sheriff Paul Burch have spoken previously about issues reported by their constituents. Those issues include overzealous enforcement and unnecessary stops on the water.

Burch accused the marine patrol troopers in his area of harassing boaters.

"I get calls weekly about stops in Mobile, Dog River, Fowl River," Burch told 1819 News. "And again, we're not trying to cast a shadow on ALEA as a whole. It's just a couple of individuals who harass people. And there's no better way to say it." 

Kennon, Burch, Baldwin County Sheriff Anthony Lowery and other regional law enforcement leaders joined in on the meeting.

In the meeting, Kennon told Taylor that ALEA patrols are unnecessary in areas where local law enforcement has jurisdiction.

He told 1819 News that in his area, the number of boating under the influence (BUI) arrests for ALEA in a weekend is similar to Orange Beach's BUI arrests for an entire year.

"My point is that we know how to police," Kennon said. "We have everything under control, and we just do not understand why we're having these issues. It is so foreign and absurd to us and our police department. We don't get it because we would never act this way."

While rushing out of the meeting Wednesday, Taylor briefly spoke with 1819 News. 

"I listened to them and to their complaints and things that they had about different things," Taylor said. "We're going to go back with my team and evaluate what we heard and see what we took from there."

Taylor said he would contact the local leaders. Mobile County Sheriff Paul Burch said that until something changes, his office, Mobile Police Department and Dauphin Island Police Department will not transport boaters to jail.

Kennon said he isn't sure if anything will change, but if it doesn't, ALEA will continue to hear from local officials.

"We do have a problem here that has to be dealt with," Kennon said. "There is a pattern, and this isn't an isolated event. We are all pretty much on the same page." 

There were around 10 people involved in the meeting, but Kennon said he received calls from mayors and law enforcement from all over the state who wanted to join.

Kennon emphasized he does not want to criticize all of ALEA or all law enforcement.

"I don't want to cast a huge net over all of ALEA," Kennon added. "One thing I despise is a bully with a badge," Kennon said. "I have the utmost respect and appreciation for law enforcement, but I can't stand a bully with a badge."

Erica Thomas is a contributing writer from 1819News.com