Water police, also called harbour patrols, port police, marine/maritime police, nautical

patrols, bay constables 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
specialized 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
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.

A rigid-hulled inflatable boat (RIB) 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 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. The operators of these vessels
are generally trained in many rescue disciplines including first aid, vessel dewatering, and
firefighting. They may also be rescue and scuba divers who are specially trained and also boat
operators who may engage in towing operations.

The advantages of watercraft patrol, includes helping if people are drowning. Patrols in the
water also allow drug traffickers to be apprehended.

A patrol boat (also referred to as a patrol craft, patrol ship or patrol vessel) is a relatively
small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defence duties