Metropolitan Police Marine Support Unit

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The Gabriel Franks, a Fast Response Targa 31 boat of the Marine Support Unit of the Metropolitan Police on the River Thames in London, named after the first marine police officer killed in the line of duty.

The Marine Support Unit (MSU, sometimes still known by its prior name of Thames Division) is a Central Operations unit of the Metropolitan Police, that polices the River Thames in London. Based at Wapping police station and having 22 vessels at its disposal, the unit also provides support to the rest of the Metropolitan Police when dealing with incidents in, or around, any waterway in London. A specialist Underwater and Confined Spaces Search Team carries out specialist searches throughout the Metropolitan Police District. The Unit also has 24 Officers who are trained in Rope Access techniques and are trained to carry out searches and counter demonstrator operations at height. The Rope Access Team are the only emergency service personnel in London trained to carry out rescues at height.

[edit] History

Thames Division was formed in 1839 when the Marine Police Force was absorbed into the Metropolitan Police Force. The original marine force is considered the first preventive police force in the English police system. It began when a merchant and magistrate, Patrick Colquhoun, teamed up with mariner John Harriott and Jeremy Bentham to persuade shipping companies to finance a police force to stop the pilfering of cargo on the docks. The first death in the line of duty occurred shortly thereafter, when Gabriel Franks was killed in a skirmish with dock workers protesting against the new force.^[1] Impressed by the economic impact of the initiative, the government passed the Marine Police Bill on 28 July 1800, making it a publicly funded police force.^[2]

Initially patrols were conducted in rowing boats, some of which remained in use until 1905. Impetus to change was provided when, on 3 September 1878 the steam collier Bywell Castle ran into the pleasure steamer Princess Alice in Galleons Reach with the loss of over 600 lives. The subsequent inquest and inquiry recommended that Thames Division should have steam launches, as rowing galleys had shown themselves to be inadequate for police duty, and the first two were commissioned in the mid 1880s. In 1910 the first motor vessels were introduced^[3].

On 20 August 1989 the Marchioness disaster occurred when the aggregate dredger Bowbelle collided with the passenger vessel Marchioness near Cannon Street Railway Bridge. Four MSU patrol boats assisted in the rescue of 87 people. 51 people died and following subsequent inquiries, the Government asked the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, the Port of London Authority and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) to work together to set up a dedicated Search and Rescue service for the tidal River Thames. Consequently, on the 2 January 2002, the RNLI set up four lifeboat stations at Gravesend, Tower Pier, Chiswick Pier and Teddington taking over the role of primary search and rescue service on the Thames from the MSU.

In 2001, Thames Division was renamed the Marine Support Unit, and is responsible for the 14 miles of the River, lying between Hampton Court and Dartford Creek. Above Hampton court, Surrey Police have responsibility for policing, but a launch is supplied by the Environment Agency. Below Dartford Creek, jurisdiction lies with the Essex Police and Kent Police. Kent has no marine unit, but the Essex Marine unit was formed in 1949, and is based at Burnham-on-Crouch police station.