Water police

Water police, also called bay constables, coastal police, harbor patrols, marine/maritime police/patrol, nautical patrols, port police, or river police are a specialty law enforcement portion of a larger police organization, who patrol in water craft. Their patrol areas may include coastal tidal waters, rivers, estuaries, harbors, lakes, canals or a combination of these.

Duties and functions

Water police are usually responsible for ensuring the safety of water users, enforcing laws relating to water traffic, preventing crime on vessels, banks and shores, providing search and rescue services (either as the main provider or as an initial response unit before more specialized units arrive), and allowing land-based police to reach locations not easily accessible. They may also be responsible for coastal security, environmental law enforcement, immigration and smuggling interdiction, and diving operations (although many police organizations have separate units to handle this). Their operations may coordinate with other agencies with similar assets such as in the United States the various Federal, State or Local authorities may work together to promote or achieve similar enforcement or rescue outcomes. In the United States, some states have combined the duties of water police with those of conservation officers or state police.

A rigid-hulled inflatable boat (RHIB) used by the UK's North West Police Underwater Search & Marine Unit. It is marked as both POLICE and HEDDLU, as it operates in both England and Wales

Equipment used ranges from personal water craft and inflatable boats to large seagoing craft, but most police vessels are small to medium, fast motorboats. In some areas these vessels incorporate a firefighting capability through a fixed deck nozzle.^[1] The operators of these vessels are generally trained in many rescue disciplines including first aid, vessel dewatering,^[2] and firefighting. They may also be trained as divers for rescue and recovery and as boat operators who may engage in towing operations.

List of water police units

Rescue Exercise

Australia

Australian Federal Police Water Police
New South Wales Police Marine Area Command
Northern Territory Police Marine and Fisheries Enforcement Unit
Queensland Police Water Police
South Australia Police Water Operations Unit
Tasmania Police Marine and Rescue Services
Victoria Police Water Police Squad
Western Australia Police Water Police Branch

Austria

Federal Police (Austria) Water Police of Austria (especially Vienna)

Bahamas

Royal Bahamas Police Force Harbour Patrol

Belgium

Belgian Federal Police Water Police Branch (DAC)

Bermuda

Bermuda Police Marine Unit

Canada

National
- Royal Canadian Mounted Police West Coast Marine Detachment
- (Police units, usually the RCMP, can join the Canadian Coast Guard on patrol)
British Columbia
- Vancouver Police Department Marine Squad
- Victoria Police Department Marine Unit
Ontario
- Barrie Police Service Marine Unit
- Brockville Police Service Marine Patrol Unit
- Durham Regional Police Service Marine Unit
- Hamilton Police Service
- Halton Regional Police [1] Marine Unit
- London Police Service Marine Patrol Unit
- Niagara Regional Police Service Marine Unit
- Ontario Provincial Police – regional Marine Units and Underwater Search and Recovery Unit
- Ottawa Police Service Marine/Underwater Unit
- Peel Regional Police Marine Unit
- Toronto Police Service Marine Unit – formed in 1982 to replace Toronto Harbour Commission Port Police and Harbour Police units.
- York Regional Police Service Marine Unit
Manitoba
- Winnipeg Police Service River Patrol and Underwater Search and Recovery Unit
Nova Scotia
- Halifax Regional Police Lake Patrol
Quebec
- Montreal City Police Service Nautical Patrol
Saskatchewan
- Regina Police Service Underwater Investigation and Recovery Team
- Saskatoon Police Service River Patrol Detail

Cayman Islands

Royal Cayman Islands Police Marine Section

Finland

Helsinki Police Department Boat Unit

Gibralta

Gibraltar Services Police Marine Unit – a civil police force which guards and enforces law on UK Ministry of Defence installations in Gibraltar.
Royal Gibraltar Police Marine Section

Greece

Hellenic Coast Guard, whose full name is "Harbour Corps-Hellenic Coast Guard," was originally founded in 1919 as the "Harbour Corps" (Greek: Λιμενικό Σώμα) to act as Greece's maritime and harbour police. It still performs this role, and it is often referred to as the "Harbour [Corps]" (Λιμενικό) in everyday Greek parlance.

Hong Kong

Hong Kong Police Force Marine Region – The Marine Police patrol 1,651 km² (637 sq mi) of waters within the territory of Hong Kong, including 263 islands. The Marine Region with about 3,000 officers, and a fleet of 143 in total, made up of 71 launches and 72 craft is the largest of any civil police force.^[3]^[4]^[5] Was referred to as Water Police until 1948 when it was renamed Marine Police.

Indonesia

Indonesian National Police – Polisi Perairan (POLAIR)^[6]

India

Kerala Coastal Police, coastal security division of Kerala State Police

Ireland

Garda Síochána Water Unit

Israel

Israeli Police Marine Police

Italy

- Corps of the Port Captaincies – Coast Guard Maritime police
- Guardia di Finanza Marine Police Section

Jamaica

Jamaica Constabulary Force Marine Division

Malaysia

Royal Malaysian Police Marine Operations Force

Marshall Islands

Kwajalein Police Department Marine Police Section

Monaco

Monaco Police Force Marine Division

Netherlands

Dienst Waterpolitie, water police force, a subdivision of the "Landelijke Eenheid" (LE), the nationwide unit.

New Zealand

New Zealand Police Maritime Policing Unit

Panama

National Aeronaval Service

Philippines

Philippine National Police
- Philippine National Police Maritime Group

Portugal

Polícia Marítima [pt] Maritime Police
Republican National Guard (Portugal) Unidade de Controlo Costeiro (Coast Control Unit)

Russia

Police of Russia's Water Police
Saint Petersburg Police's river police
Moscow Police's river police
FSB's Russian Coast Guard
National Guard Maritime Unit

Serbia

Police of Serbia's River Police

Singapore

Singapore Police Force Police Coast Guard

Spain

Guardia Civil Guardia Civil del Mar
Servicio de Vigilancia Aduanera (Customs)

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka Police Service Marine Division

South Africa

South African Police Service Water Wing

United Kingdom

Devon and Cornwall Constabulary Marine Operations Section
Dyfed-Powys Police Marine Unit
Dorset Police Marine Section
Essex Police Marine and Diving Unit
Hampshire Constabulary Marine Unit
Kent Police Marine Unit
Lothian and Borders Police Marine Section
Metropolitan Police Marine Policing Unit (formerly Thames Division)
Ministry of Defence Police Marine Unit
Norfolk Constabulary Broads policing unit by boat with support from 'Broads beat' officers on land
Northumbria Police Marine Unit
North West Police Underwater Search & Marine Unit
Police Scotland Dive and Marine Unit

United States

Federal

District of Columbia

Metropolitan Police Department Harbor Patrol

Alabama

Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Marine Resources In 2013 The Marine Police Division was merged into the Alabama Department of Public Safety's Marine Patrol Division

Arizona

Maricopa County Sheriff's Office Lake Patrol Division, Arizona

California

East Bay Regional Park District Police Department Marine Patrol Unit, California
El Dorado County Sheriff's Office Boat Patrol, California
Los Angeles Port Police, Port of Los Angeles, California
Kern County Parks and Recreation Lake Patrol, California
Marin County Sheriff's Office Marine Patrol, California
Placer County Sheriff's Office Marine Unit, California
Sacramento County Sheriff's Department Marine Enforcement Detail, California
Sacramento Police Department Marine Division, California
San Diego Harbor Police Department Public Safety Agency California
Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office Marine Unit, California

Connecticut

Bridgeport Police Department Marine Unit^[7]
Candlewood Lake Authority Marine Patrol^[8]
Columbia Lake Marine Patrol^[9]
Connecticut Environmental Conservation Police
Coventry Marine Patrol
Cromwell Police Department Marine Patrol^[10]
Darien Police Department Marine Divsion
Fairfield Police Department Marine Unit^[11]
Greenwich Police Department Marine Operations Section, Connecticut
Groton City Police Department Marine Patrol^[12]
Lake Housatonic Authority Marine Patrol^[13]
Metropolitan District Commission Police Department, Connecticut
Middletown Police Department Marine Unit
Milford Police Department Marine Patrol^[14]
Norwalk Police Department Marine Unit^[15]
Norwich Police Department Harbor Patrol
Old Saybrook Police Department Marine Patrol^[16]
Stamford Police Department Harbor Unit
Stratford Police Department Marine Unit
Westbrook Police Department Marine Patrol
Westport Police Department Marine Division^[17]

Delaware

Delaware Natural Resources Police, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, Division of Fish and Wildlife
Delaware River and Bay Authority Police Department Marine Unit
Dover Police Department Marine Patrol Section, Delaware

Florida

Boynton Beach Police Department Marine Patrol, Florida
Daytona Beach Police Department Marine Unit, Florida
Florida Department of Environmental Protection Bureau of Park Patrol
Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission Law Enforcement
Fort Lauderdale Police Department Marine Unit, Florida
Hollywood Police Department Marine Unit, Florida
Key West Police Department Marine Unit, Florida
Lake County Sheriff's Office Marine Unit, Florida
Miami-Dade Police Department Marine Patrol, Florida
North Miami Police Department Marine Patrol, Florida
North Miami Beach Police Department Marine Patrol, Florida
Orlando Police Department Marine Patrol Unit, Florida
Polk County Sheriff's Office Marine Unit, Florida
Tampa Police Department Marine Unit, Florida

Georgia

Chatham County Police Department Marine Patrol Unit, Georgia
Georgia Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division

Illinois

Chicago Police Department Marine Unit, Illinois
Lake County Sheriff's Office Marine Unit, Illinois

Indiana

Lake County Sheriff's Department Marine Unit, Indiana

Iowa

Des Moines Police Department Waterway Operations Unit, Iowa

Kentucky

Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources Water Patrol

Louisiana

Levee District Police, Louisiana
Port of New Orleans Harbor Police Department Patrol Boat Division, Louisiana

Maine

Falmouth Police Department, Marine Unit
Maine Marine Patrol, Maine Department of Marine Resources

Maryland

Baltimore Police Department Marine Unit, Maryland
Baltimore County Police Department Marine Unit, Maryland
Maryland Natural Resources Police
Maryland Transportation Authority Police Department Marine Unit

Massachusetts

Barnstable Police Department Marine Division, Massachusetts
Boston Police Department Harbor Unit, Massachusetts
Massachusetts Environmental Police
Massachusetts State Police Marine Unit
Webster Police Department Marine Patrol, Massachusetts

Michigan

Detroit Police Department Harbor Master Unit, Michigan
Ludington Marine Patrol (jointly operated by city police and fire departments),^[18] Michigan
Macomb County Sheriff's Office Marine Division, Michigan
Michigan Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division, Marine Patrol
Muskegon County Sheriff's Office Marine Division, Michigan
Oakland County Sheriff's Office Marine Unit, Michigan
Ottawa County Sheriff's Office Marine Division, Michigan
Wayne County Sheriff's Office Marine Division, Michigan

Minnesota

Hennepin County, Minnesota Sheriff's Office Water Patrol, Hennepin County, Minnesota

Missouri

Missouri State Water Patrol Department of Public Safety, Jefferson City, Missouri

New Hampshire

New Hampshire Fish and Game Department Law Enforcement Division
New Hampshire Marine Patrol Department of Safety

New Jersey

New Jersey Conservation Police, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
New Jersey State Police Marine Services Unit

New York

Town of Babylon Public Safety Department Marine Patrols/Bay Constables, New York
Erie County Sheriff's Office Marine Patrol Unit, New York
Evans Police Department Marine Rescue and Recovery Unit, New York
Huntington Harbormasters Office /Marine Patrol
Town of Islip Harbor Police, New York
Nassau County Police Department Marine Division, New York
New York Environmental Conservation Police, New York Department of Environmental Conservation
New York City Police Department Harbor Unit, New York
New York City Police Department Auxiliary Police Harbor Unit, New York
New York State Police Marine Detail
Putnam County Sheriff's Office Marine Unit, New York
Suffolk County Police Department Marine Bureau, New York
Suffolk County Sheriff's Office Marine Unit, New York

North Carolina

Catawba County Sheriff's Office Lake Patrol Unit,[2]
North Carolina Marine Patrol
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Lakes Enforcement Division, North Carolina
Cornelius Police Department Lake Patrol Unit Cornelius, North Carolina
Gaston County Police Department Marine Enforcement Division, North Carolina

Ohio

Butler County Sheriff's Office Marine Patrol, Ohio
Hamilton County Sheriff's Office Marine Patrol Unit, Ohio
Henry County Sheriff's Office Marine Patrol Division, Ohio
Huron Police Department Harbor Patrol,
Lake County Sheriff's Office Marine Patrol, Ohio
Lorain Port Authority Marine Patrol, Ohio
Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Watercraft
Perrysburg Township Police Department Marine Patrol, Ohio
Rocky River Police Department Marine Patrol, Ohio
Ross County Sheriff's Office Marine Patrol Unit, Ohio
Sandusky Police Department Marine Patrol, Ohio
Summit County Sheriff's Office Marine Patrol, Ohio
Toledo Police Department Harbor Patrol, Ohio
Vermilion Police Department Marine Patrol Unit, Ohio

Oklahoma

Oklahoma City Police Department Lake Patrol Section, Oklahoma
Oklahoma Highway Patrol Lake Patrol Section (Troop W)
Grand River Dam Authority

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, Bureau of Law Enforcement
Philadelphia Police Department Marine Unit, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh Bureau of Police River Rescue Unit, Pennsylvania (operated jointly with the city's Bureau of Emergency Medical Services and featured in the movie Striking Distance)

Rhode Island

Providence Police Department Harbor Patrol, Rhode Island
Rhode Island Environmental Police, Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management

South Carolina

Charleston Police Department Harbor Patrol. South Carolina
Division of Law Enforcement, South Carolina Division of Natural Resources

Tennessee

Hamilton County Sheriff's Office Marine Division, Tennessee

Texas

Austin Park Police, Texas

Vermont

Colchester Police Department Marine Unit, Colchester, Vermont
Vermont State Police Marine Division Vermont

Virginia

Henrico County Division of Police Marine Patrol, Virginia
Virginia Marine Police, Law Enforcement Division, Virginia Marine Resources Commission

Washington

Anacortes Police Department Marine Patrol, Washington
Kent Police Department Marine Patrol Unit, Washington
King County Sheriff's Office Marine/Dive Unit, Washington
Olympia Police Department Harbor Patrol, Washington
Poulsbo Police Department Marine Patrol, Washington
Seattle Police Department Harbor Patrol, Washington

Wisconsin

Dane County Sheriff's Office Marine Patrol Division, Wisconsin**Milwaukee Police Department Harbor Patrol Unit, Wisconsin
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Lakes Patrol Unit

Multistate

Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

Vietnam

- Ministry of Public Security: Vietnam People's Public Security
  - Department of Traffic Police:^[19] Vietnam Traffic Police
    - Bureau of Water Traffic Patrol and Control: Vietnam River Police
    - Bureau of Water Criminal Investigation: Vietnam River Police
    - River Squadron I
    - River Squadron II
    - River Squadron III

Gallery

A Metropolitan Police launch on the River Thames in London
Patrol boat of the Wasserschutzpolizei of Hamburg/Germany
A Chicago Police Department boat on Lake Michigan
Police boat in Poole Harbour, Dorset, England
Helsinki Police Department patrol Boats 491, 192, and 493 in front of ice breaker Voima at Katajanokka, Helsinki, Finland.
Town of Oyster Bay constable on patrol in waters on the north shore of Long Island, NY
Boats of the Marine Section of the Bermuda Police Service at Barr's Bay, in Hamilton, Bermuda.
Italian Maritime Police Patrol boat
Indonesian POLAIR (Marine Police) Patrol Boat
Consortium, one of the vessels used by the UK's North West Police Underwater Search & Marine Unit
A Cheetah catamaran acquired by the UK's North West Police Underwater Search & Marine Unit in 2012, to be used during the London Olympics
Hong Kong Police Force Marine Region Police Launch 80
Toronto Police Marine Unit
Water police patrol boat on the Vistula river in Warsaw, Poland
Basque Police (Ertzaintza) Patrol boat

References

^ "Deck Guns: Know Your Flow". Fire Engineering. 2019-10-01. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
^ "Dewatering Control System". seapart.com. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
^ "Chapter 1 History – The First Century | Hong Kong Police Force". www.police.gov.hk. Retrieved 2022-12-02.
^ "香港警務處－警隊歷史".
^ 水警總區
^ Website: http://polair.polri.go.id/
^ "Bridgeport Police Marine Unit patrol Connecticut waters searching for dangerous boaters".
^ "CLA Marine Patrol".
^ "Marine Patrol".
^ "Marine Patrol | Town of Cromwell CT".
^ "Fairfield Police Department (Connecticut)".
^ "Marine Patrol | Groton, CT".
^ "Lake Housatonic Authority".
^ "Marine Patrol | milfordct".
^ "Marine Unit | Norwalk, CT - Official Website".
^ "Marine Patrol | oldsaybrookct".
^ https://www.westportct.gov/government/departments-a-z/police-department/divisions/specialized-units/marine-division ^{[bare URL]}
^ "Marine Patrol | Ludington, MI – Official Website".
^ "CỤC CẢNH SÁT GIAO THÔNG | | Cục cảnh sát giao thông".

External links

[1] "Deck Guns: Know Your Flow". Fire Engineering. 2019-10-01. Retrieved 2021-12-22.

[2] "Dewatering Control System". seapart.com. Retrieved 2021-12-22.

[3] "Chapter 1 History – The First Century | Hong Kong Police Force". www.police.gov.hk. Retrieved 2022-12-02.

[4] "香港警務處－警隊歷史".

[5] 水警總區

[6] Website: http://polair.polri.go.id/

[7] "Bridgeport Police Marine Unit patrol Connecticut waters searching for dangerous boaters".

[8] "CLA Marine Patrol".

[9] "Marine Patrol".

[10] "Marine Patrol | Town of Cromwell CT".

[11] "Fairfield Police Department (Connecticut)".

[12] "Marine Patrol | Groton, CT".

[13] "Lake Housatonic Authority".

[14] "Marine Patrol | milfordct".

[15] "Marine Unit | Norwalk, CT - Official Website".

[16] "Marine Patrol | oldsaybrookct".

[17] ttps://www.westportct.gov/government/departments-a-z/police-department/divisions/specialized-units/marine-division ^{[bare URL]}

[18] "Marine Patrol | Ludington, MI – Official Website".

[19] "CỤC CẢNH SÁT GIAO THÔNG | | Cục cảnh sát giao thông".

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