Operation Riverwatch program to expand

The tragic death of Craig Meyers, the latest in a long series of drowning deaths in La Crosse, has inspired Operation Riverwatch to change their program to be more effective at succeeding in its founding goal.
Proposed changes include extending the shift by a half hour. Currently the program runs from 11 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. on Thursday nights and 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. During these hours, two volunteers patrol Riverside and make sure no one enters the park.
The program plans to either run a half hour longer or push the start time back a half hour.
"That way we would go until 3 a.m. on Thursdays and 3:30 on Fridays and Saturday," said Matt Landi, public relations director for the group. "There are a lot of people who stay downtown after the bars close and the need for Riverwatch doesn't disappear a half hour after bar time."
Landi said other plans to improve the program focus on making sure incidents are reported and that the process is the same for everyone who volunteers. The group plans to work with the La Crosse reserve officers on this, though none of the plans are official yet.
According to the Web site, volunteers run into intoxicated people in the park every weekend. The volunteers then talk to these people, tell them they are in Riverside Park and send them home.
"Not all of the people I have encountered are intoxicated," Landi said.
However, according to Landi, some are very intoxicated and think they are heading towards their houses when they are actually walking right into the Mississippi River. 
"I would definitely say Riverwatch has been effective in preventing tragedies in Riverside Park," Landi said.
The group is also discussing the possibility of expanding the area they patrol, Landi said. He explained that this is difficult because there are only two people and, as it is, the park is a large area to patrol.
"Riverwatch's most important feature is the message it is trying to send. It is more symbolic," Landi said. "It is promoting responsibility and safety in our drinking culture."
The group encourages students to look out for their friends.
"If you see someone falling over on the corner talk to them and ask where their friends are and if they need help," Landi said.
If you are interested in volunteering, visit the group's Web site at Operationriverwatch.com.