NSW has a large and busy coastline leading to an expansive system of waterways. The NSW Police Marine Area Command's (MAC) responsibility extends to all coastal area's of NSW to 200 Nautical Miles out to sea. From the earliest days of settlement, the state has required a dedicated water based policing service. The services provided by MAC are similar to those carried out by land-based police, including crime prevention and detection,search and rescue. Police vessels and personnel are strategically located at important commercial and leisure ports with the base at Balmain on Sydney Harbour. You can find the water police at Tweed Heads, Coffs Harbour, Port Stephens, Newcastle, Broken Bay, Sydney, Botany Bay, Port Kembla and Eden. Some remote country waterways are serviced by their Police Districts. Our Water Police hold the distinction of being the first civilian form of policing established in NSW. In 1789, one year after the colony was founded, Governor Phillip created a 'Row Boat Guard' to patrol Sydney Cove for smugglers and convicts attempting to pass letters to ships anchored in the harbour. It was merged, with all other Police units, into the NSW Police Department in 1862. In the late-19th century, the Water Police entered the 'modern era' of combustion engines with two steam launches, the 'Bileola' and the 'Argus'. These were used for nearly 35 years before they were replaced with motor launches. The NSW Police Marine Area Command commenced in July 1999. MAC employs 123 personnel, including operational water police, marine intelligence unit, marine crime prevention officer, licensing, operations, fleet, divers, training and education, search and rescue, detectives and the marine operational support team (MOST). With an increasing amount of commercial shipping and the immense expansion in the number and type of leisure craft on our waterways, the Water Police are being called on more and more to drive down marine crime. Their duties include:
policing the waterways of NSW to reduce marine crime
protecting life and property, both at sea and on inland waters
overseeing aquatic events and controlling spectator craft
coordinating search and rescue off the coast of NSW
carrying out diving operations and underwater searches for missing persons and evidence
maintain and service police launches
addressing marine crime prevention issues
safety and compliance reinforcement
