Six-force Consortium takes to the water
A new hi-tech boat has been deployed across six force areas as part of the National Maritime Security Strategy.
A new hi-tech boat has been deployed across six force areas as part of the National Maritime Security Strategy.
The boat, named Consortium, is a converted Swift Trawler 42 and is the first one of its kind in the UK to be used by police. It will be used by forces in Merseyside, Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and North Wales for high-visibility patrols of the regions waterways by the specialist underwater search and marine unit.
On board is state-of-the-art equipment designed for sub-surface security, providing underwater scans of vessels and terminals. There is also a remotely-operated vehicle, which can be used instead of, or alongside, divers to check riverbeds and bodies of water.
Chief Constable of Merseyside Police and ACPO lead on National Maritime Security Strategy, Bernard Hogan-Howe, said: The boat is the first of this kind in the UK to be used specifically for policing the maritime environment. It will contribute to the Governments strategy to secure maritime interests, making them less attractive to criminality and terrorism. We want it to become part of the river community and provide neighbourhood policing for our ports and marinas.”
