In the last month of 2012, beach goers were reminded that dogs in the National Park must be leashed.  10 warnings were verbal; 7 were written; and one pet owner received a violation notice, or citation, for having a free range pet.

Ocracoke may slow down in the winter, but not all drivers do.  13 speeding drivers were admonished verbally; 11 were handed a strongly worded paper; and 9 can opt to pay a fine or have their day in court.

Two violation notices were issued for not having a valid driver's license, and one warning was written for that offense.

One violation notice was written for a closure violation.

During the past month, rangers made contact with 16 people whose vehicles were in the park without the $50 or $120 Off Road Vehicle Permit.  11 warnings were verbal, 5 were written.  The new year means beach drivers need to renew their ORV permits.

One golf cart was caught venturing beyond the village onto federally administered land.  The driver received a verbal warning.

Warnings were also issued to a motorcyclist without a helmet and a person camping illegally on park land.

Busted on the Beach will appear monthly, rather than weekly, during the winter.