Marine Region

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Marine Region

Police Launch 80.
Active 1846-Now
Country  Hong Kong
Branch Hong Kong Police Force
Type Water police
Role Sea and islands policing, anti-smuggling and illegal immigration
Size 2,424 officers
Part of Operations Wing
Insignia
Identification
symbol

The Marine Region is a branch of the Hong Kong Police Force, more widely known as the Marine Police. 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 142 in total, made up of 70 launches and 72 craft is the largest of any civil police force.[1][2][3]

Overview

The Marine Region involves about 3,000 officers policing some 13,000 local craft and a total maritime population of 14,100. In addition to normal marine policing functions, the marine police are also responsible for countering illegal immigration and smuggling at sea.[4]

To undertake this work, the Marine Region additionally mount shore patrol to police the smaller islands and isolated communities with no land transport to other parts of the territory, and participate in the Hong Kong Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre, which is responsible for co-ordinating maritime rescue operations both within and outside Hong Kong waters. The region's headquarters are located at Sai Wan Ho.[4]

Since 2007, the Marine Region has developed a new, two-part operational strategy called Versatile Maritime Policing Response (VMPR) which has come into operation in phases, providing an improved police service at reduced cost with an enhanced Command and Control System and faster craft offering a more flexible policing response.

Organisation

The Marine Region comprises a Regional Headquarters and two sea Districts.

The Region comprises:

  • Operations Formation is responsible for all operational matters at Regional level, including:
    • Regional Crime Units investigating crimes and syndicated illegal immigration by sea;
    • RCCC;
    • Logistics Unit;
    • Small Boat Division.
  • Administration Formation is responsible for general administration; personnel and establishment matters.
  • Support Formation is responsible for:
    • management of the launch acquisition programmes;
    • training and assessment of Marine police personnel in navigation, seamanship, engineering and safety; and
    • selection and acquisition of specialist equipment.
    • core property strategy in Marine Region

Headquarters

Former Marine Police station after renovation
Sai Wan Ho Marine Police Regional Headquarters.

The Marine Region had its headquarters at the Former Marine Police Headquarters Compound in Tsim Sha Tsui till 1996, when they were relocated to Sai Wan Ho. The old headquarters have now become a heritage tourism facility known as 1881 Heritage.

Gallery

  • Sai Wan Ho Marine Police Regional Headquarters.

  • Marine Police North Division.

  • Marine Police North Division.

  • Marine Police North Division.

  • Marine Police East Division.

  • Kat O Police Post.

Fleet

Marine craft

  • Australia BSC Marine Group patrol vessels
  • Australia Protector (Pacific Forum) class – 6 small patrol boats
  • Hong Kong Hong Kong Shipyards Sea Panther class 1988 – 2 large command boats
  • Netherlands Damen Stan Mk I patrol boats 1980–1981 – 10 built by Chung Wah Shipyard 1990s
  • Netherlands Damen Stan Mk III patrol boats 1984–1985 – 16 built by Chung Wah Shipyard 1990s
  • Netherlands Damen Stan 2600 patrol boats
  • New Zealand HamiltonJet 13m Aluminium patrol boats[5]
  • Australia ASC Keka Class 30-metre patrol launches 2000 – six built by Cheoy Lee Shipyard
    • replaced six Damen Class Mk1 patrol launches[6]
  • Rigid inflatable hull vessels
  • Tai Fei – fast patrol vessels
  • speed boats

Historic[7]

  • 22’ Police Launch 1970 – 11
  • 30’ Fairey Marine Spear Class patrol boat 1981 – 9
  • 40’ Jetstream Class patrol craft 1971 – 3
  • 45’ converted tugs pre-1995 – 8
  • 45’ converted tugs pre-1975 – 2
  • Islander Class patrol craft 1960 – 1
  • Hong Kong United Dockyard Sea Rover Class patrol craft 1955 – 6
  • Pacific Forum Class Patrol boat 1993 – 6
  • 78’ Vosper Thornycroft coastal patrol craft 1972–73 – 7 (retired 1993)

  • Police Launch 3 (Sea Panther Class).

  • Police Launch 5 which started to service in 2007 (Damen Stan).

  • Police Launch 8.

  • Police Launch 14.

  • Police Launch 42.

  • Police Launch 44.

  • Police Launch 54 (Protector Class).

  • Police Launch 63 (Keka Class).

  • Police Launch 82.

  • Marine Police set up a block in Shing Mun River Channel under the Banyan Bridge during the 2008 Summer Olympics.

  • Marine Police patrol the Shing Mun River Channel during the 2008 Summer Olympics torch relay.

  • Marine Police patrol the Shing Mun River Channel during the 2008 Summer Olympics torch relay.

  • Marine Police supervises while the dragonboat races in Shing Mun River Channel, Sha Tin.

Firearms

  • Smith & Wesson Model 10- Standard issue sidearm for Marine Region (except Small Boat Division), 6 shot .38 revolver.
  • Glock 17- Standard issue pistol for Small Boat Division, loaded with 17 round of 9mm Parabellum magazines
  • Federal Model 201-Z Riot Gun – Standard issue anti-riot gun, loaded with less-than-lethal CS rounds.
  • Heckler & Koch MP5- Standard issue SMG, loaded with 30 round of 9mm Parabellum magazines

See also

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hong Kong Marine Police.

References

  1. ↑ Police History: Overview – The Future
  2. ↑ 香港警務處－警隊歷史
  3. ↑ 水警總區
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "The Police". Hong Kong: The Facts. Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government. July 2009. Retrieved 2009-12-15. 
  5. ↑ "Patrol Boats". HamiltonJet. Retrieved 2010-01-06. 
  6. ↑ "Hong Kong (Hong Kong), The market – Australasia and East Asia". Janes. Retrieved 2011-04-02. 
  7. ↑ http://oceania.pbworks.com/w/page/8462402/Hong-Kong-Navy
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