Norwalk police are stressing boater safety as more people start to get out on the water ahead of Memorial Day.

Norwalk Police Sgt. Justin Bisceglie started with the Marine Unit in September.

"Nice easy winter to get my feet wet. No pun intended," said Bisceglie.

Bisceglie says he's out on the Norwalk River and the Sound every day to monitor boat traffic and make sure everybody's safe.

Norwalk police patrol 10 miles on the waters. They hand out about 250 infractions a year.

"We're pretty busy as far as rescues and boating assists from people that find themselves in trouble. People don't understand the power of the water and how quickly it can go bad," said Bisceglie.

Bisceglie says he often sees too many people on boats, which is bad for stability and handling.

He says to watch your alcohol intake.

He's also seeing a lot of new and unexperienced boaters.

"They don't necessarily understand the navigational rules and where they should and shouldn't go so, they tend to run aground a little bit, have some mechanical problems that don't get addressed during the off season," said Bisceglie.

Police say you need to have a life vest for each person on the boat.

They say boaters should keep their speed at 5 mph or less from the Norwalk River out to the Sound.

Norwalk police say you should also have flares on your boat.

They are doing a flare takeback program for expired flares starting this Saturday.