Water police, also called harbor patrols, port police, marine police, or river police, are police officers, usually a department of a larger police organisation, who patrol in water craft. Their patrol areas may be coastal sea waters, rivers, estuaries, harbours, lakes, canals or a combination of these.
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 specialised units arrive), and allowing the police to reach locations not easily accessible from land. They may also be responsible for coastal security, conservation law enforcement, immigration and smuggling patrols, and diving search operations (although many police organisations have separate units to handle this).
Equipment ranges from personal water craft and inflatable boats to large seagoing craft, but most police vessels are small to medium, fast motor launches. In some areas these vessels incorporate a firefighting capability through a fixed deck nozzle.
List of water police units
- Australia
- Bahamas
- Canada
- Cayman Islands
- People's Republic of China
- Gibraltar
- Republic of Ireland
- Israel
- Jamaica
- Marshall Islands
- New Zealand
- Singapore
- South Africa
- United Kingdom
- United States of America
- Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Marine Police Division
- Anacortes Police Department Marine Patrol, Washington
- Austin Park Police, Texas
- Baltimore City Police Department Marine Unit, Maryland
- Barnstable Police Department Marine Division, Massachusetts
- Boston Police Department Harbor Unit, Massachusetts
- Boynton Beach Police Department Marine Patrol, Florida
- Butler County Sheriff's Office Marine Patrol, Ohio
- Charleston Police Department Harbor Patrol, South Carolina
- Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Lakes Enforcement Division, North Carolina
- Chatham County Police Department Marine Patrol Unit, Georgia
- Chicago Police Department Marine Unit, Illinois
- Daytona Beach Police Department Marine Unit, Florida
- Delaware River and Bay Authority Police Department Marine Unit
- Des Moines Police Department Waterway Operations Unit, Iowa
- Detroit Police Department Harbor Master Unit, Michigan
- Dover Police Department Marine Patrol Section, Delaware
- East Bay Regional Park District Police Department Marine Patrol Unit, California
- El Dorado County Sheriff's Office Boat Patrol, California
- Evans Police Department Marine Rescue and Recovery Unit, New York
- Florida Department of Environmental Protection Bureau of Park Patrol
- Fort Lauderdale Police Department Marine Unit, Florida
- Greenwich Police Department Marine Operations Section, Connecticut
- Hamilton County Sheriff's Office Marine Patrol Unit, Ohio
- Hamilton County Sheriff's Office Marine Division, Tennessee
- Henrico County Division of Police Marine Patrol, Virginia
- Henry County Sheriff's Office Marine Patrol Division, Ohio
- Hollywood Police Department Marine Unit, Florida
- Huron Police Department Harbor Patrol, Ohio
- Kent Police Department Marine Patrol Unit, Washington
- Key West Police Department Marine Unit, Florida
- King County Sheriff's Office Marine/Dive Unit, Washington
- Lake County Sheriff's Office Marine Unit, Florida
- Lake County Sheriff's Office Marine Unit, Illinois
- Lake County Sheriff's Department Marine Unit, Indiana
- Lake County Sheriff's Office Marine Patrol, Ohio
- Lorain Port Authority Marine Patrol, Ohio
- Maricopa County Sheriff's Office Lake Patrol Division, Arizona
- Marin County Sheriff's Office Marine Patrol, California
- Maryland Transportation Authority Police Department Marine Unit
- Massachusetts State Police Marine Unit
- Metropolitan Police Department Harbor Patrol, District of Columbia
- Miami-Dade Police Department Marine Patrol, Florida
- Nassau County Police Department Marine Division, New York
- New Jersey State Police Marine Services Unit
- New York City Police Department Harbor Unit, New York
- New York State Police Marine Detail
- North Miami Police Department Marine Patrol, Florida
- North Miami Beach Police Department Marine Patrol, Florida
- Oklahoma City Police Department Lake Patrol Section, Oklahoma
- Oklahoma Highway Patrol Lake Patrol Section (Troop W)
- Orlando Police Department Marine Patrol Unit, Florida
- Ottawa County Sheriff's Office Marine Division, Michigan
- Perrysburg Township Police Department Marine Patrol, Ohio
- Philadelphia Police Department Marine Unit, Pennsylvania
- Placer County Sheriff's Office Marine Unit, California
- Polk County Sheriff's Office Marine Unit, Florida
- Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Force
- Port of New Orleans Harbor Police Department Patrol Boat Division, Louisiana
- Poulsbo Police Department Marine Patrol, Washington
- Providence Police Department Harbor Patrol, Rhode Island
- Rocky River Police Department Marine Patrol, Ohio
- Ross County Sheriff's Office Marine Patrol Unit, Ohio
- Sacramento County Sheriff's Department Marine Enforcement Detail, California
- Sacramento Police Department Marine Division, California
- San Diego Harbor Police Marine Patrol, California
- Sandusky Police Department Marine Patrol, Ohio
- Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department Marine Unit, California
- Seattle Police Department Harbor Patrol, Washington
- Suffolk County Police Department Marine Bureau, New York
- Summit County Sheriff's Office Marine Patrol, Ohio
- Tampa Police Department Marine Unit, Florida
- Toledo Police Department Harbor Patrol, Ohio
- Vermilion Police Department Marine Patrol Unit, Ohio
- Virginia Marine Resources Commission Law Enforcement Division
- Webster Police Department Marine Patrol, Massachusetts
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