Smooth sailing with his new duties

The economy has Orange County leaders looking everywhere to cut costs.

The O.C. Sheriff’s Harbor Patrol harbor master, Lt. Erin Guidice, was reassigned after a recent arrest.

The weather is warming and Newport sailors are beginning to dust off the sails, a precursor to a busy season for authorities.

And amid all this, the new harbor master stationed out of Newport Harbor, Lt. Mark Long, who’s only three weeks into the job, finds comfort.

Because, he said, he sees an opportunity to fine-tune an already efficient operation.

“I’m surprised by the amount, variety and the versatility of the deputies who work here. We do everything from recovering bodies, recovering equipment; we do rescues, emergency management; we fight fires, we do law enforcement. It’s a huge variety and a huge responsibility,� Long said. “When you look at the services we provide, and the variety and depth … the guys tell me Orange County is a model for other places to follow. I’m a business major, and I always look at things like a business model. I think we have an ideal model.�

Long was chosen from several recruits for the recently vacated harbor master position after Guidice was arrested on a DUI suspicion and reassigned to Theo Lacy Jail in Orange.

While he has little to no experience on the water — he’s served most of his time in the sheriff’s department on patrol in Dana Point or in jails — he views the challenge with an eager eye.

“The thing that attracted me is that this isn’t some of the same old stuff I’ve been doing in the past. It’s a completely different challenge, a different vocabulary, different tools, the lay out…,� he said, adding, though, that, “The tools are different, but people are people.�

From that standpoint, he’s eager to test his mettle and see what he can improve for sailors and visitors.

Long acknowledged there’s little crime in the harbor but credited a lot of that to his deputies remaining vigilant and visible. His focus for the near future is the budget.

“The budgetary issues are a challenge,� he said. “Can you do more with less?�

He equates it with a business model. Every year, a business could ask its suppliers to either cut prices, or improve quality. That’s his goal with the Harbor Patrol, he said.

“Let’s look for better service for the same number of deputies.�