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West Coast Marine Service (North) INTRODUCTION TO SERVICEThe Members of the West Coast Marine Service offer, first and foremost, a full scale Police service and when able, take full conduct of their Investigations. The serviced offered mirrors a 'Detachment Style' Platform. When there is a need for the Crew to conduct an investigation in a Village, on the Water or is re-deployed in an emergent situation elsewhere in the Province, the is a capacity to change easily change their roles with the varied levels and types of operational experience aboard. For Crew Certification, RCMP (National) Transport Website for Marine Certification of Crew. For full historical background, please refer to the West Coast Marine Services - Historical Website. With the remote population base along the B.C. Coastline being spread onto the smallest of Islands and Inlets, we often see residents utilizing small fish boats and vessels as their day to day mode of transportation - rather than a car. They would transport their Children to and from School by Water. You would see them buying their groceries in remote Stores and picking up their Mail in remote Post Offices. These are locations which are miles away from roads or road access. In the Southern areas around Vancouver Island, you will see people migrating to the Waters on the Weekends in tremendous numbers, which again raises all sorts of other concerns and situations. With respect to the Enforcement of the Canada Shipping Act and Regulations, you might find people operating their Craft without the correct Safety Equipment. You may find people operating their craft without Lights at night. Once you stop the Vessel, that is when you find other issues such as Liquor, Drugs, and/or people attempting to evade being noticed or caught committing some other Criminal Act. This is also when Programs such as Coast Watch come to play with the 'remote' residents calling us with those concerns. At the present time, we are seeing an annual increase in boating traffic rising at a rate of between 3% and 5%. We are seeing people pushing further and further into the 'wilds' and taking up residency in those locations. In U.S. Waters of Washington and Alaska State, we are being informed by both the Troopers and the U.S. Coast Guard that they are seeing an annual increase of boating traffic of 5% per year. Other issues such as Customs Enforcement become an issue. With the right of free passage by U.S. Vessels transitting between American States along the Canadian Inside Passage we have seen a tremendous increase in U.S. traffic along the inside passage. Enforcement of the Customs and Immigration Act become common place for the Marine Members, particularly in areas North of Vancouver Island. Foreign Vessels not reporting into Customs and stopping in the remote areas is a common infraction which carries with it the appropriate consequences under the Customs Act. With respect to our Partner (external) Agencies, we have seen a tightening of resources across the board. This has forced all Services into Partnerships and thinking out of the 'box'. RCMP Specialized Sections are asking for assistance which requires a continual training process to keep the Marine Members current in the various enforcement duties. The B.C. Forest Service and the RCMP Forest Crimes Section have a rising concern over the Theft of Timber in the remote areas. This has also had the Marine Members developing innovative solutions and working collectively. What we have laid out below is an example of 'some' of the duties our Members handle. The hope is that you find it entertaining which in turn will assist you to understand the complexities of the RCMP Service we supply along the B.C. Coastline. Thank you for taking the time to read our site. P.S. Attrell
WEST COAST MARINE SERVICE (NORTH)
The West Coast Marine Service on the North B.C. coast was established upon the takeover of the BC Provincial Police Marine Unit in 1955 and existed on the North Coast until 1975 when air travel became a quicker and a cheaper means of conducting Police Patrols. After a further 15 years, it became evident that the Police Service was not adequate with High Profile Incidents such as the Lyle Island Environmental Protests of 1985, numerous High Profile Drug Importation investigations, and the Langara Island Protest of 1991. It also became evident that smaller craft (such as a 28 foot Bertram), could not handle the riggers of the open sea and the extended periods of poor visibility. Community Based Policing has also become a necessary way of doing business, particularly with a history of little or no contact with the outlaying stakeholders. In 1993, the RCMP re-established its northern Marine Unit to cover an area from the top end of Vancouver Island to the Alaska Border. A 63 foot High Speed Patrol Catamaran, by the name of 'Higgitt' (named after Commissioner Higgitt), was constructed positioned in Prince Rupert with Four Regular Members. In 1995, after a full marine review, it became evident that the service needed additional resources on the north coast. Additionally with such High Profile Investigations as the 1995 King Island Logging Protest (20 arrests), and the 1994 Laredo Inlet 20 tonne drug seizure, the size of the platform, the communications, the remoteness and size of the area, and the limited number of crew were some of the major issues which had to be addressed. In 1996, the newest RCMP Patrol Vessel Inkster (72 feet) was constructed and positioned in Prince Rupert with an additional four Regular Members, for a total of eight. The PV Higgitt was re-deployed to Vancouver Island. With the an addition of a 24 foot Ridged Hulled Inflatable, this eight member satellite unit would be equipped to handle a 7 day per week service to better serve its client base. In 1996, 1997, and 1998 the PV Inkster has lead in numerous High Profile Investigations beginning with the 1996 Logging Protest and take over of the Log Carrier "Haida Monarch" near Bella Coola. In 1997, four large scale protests occurred between Bella Coola and Prince Rupert and in 1998 a large scale protest was handled in the Queen Charlotte Islands and the 14 tonne Hashish Smuggling File which was intended for the Central Coast of British Columbia. By applying an Effective Model for Community Policing and involving all of its stakeholders, each of the protests were resolved with no physical harm to anyone. The West Coast Marine Service is also active in other such programs such as Boating Safety and the Coastal Watch Program and encourages its Clients along the entire, often remote, West Coast to contact the members directly if they should have any questions or requests for service. By supporting such programs as Vision Quest, it also supports our First Nations People in all areas of the Province in acquiring donations to construct an $8 million dollar Alcohol and Drug Rehabilitation Center somewhere in the Province. With the ever increasing call for service and the advent of Community Based Policing, the members of the West coast Marine Service are rising to the challenge to meet its commitments to the Public it serves, particularly within the present economic environment. You can be assured that it will continue to supply the service so many people have come to expect, rely upon and appreciate. Selections - Top of PageFEDERAL ENFORCEMENTIt in the fall of 1998 the RCMP in the Queen Charlotte Islands, on the Northern Coast of British Columbia, made an enquiry with the West Coast Marine Detachment in Prince Rupert. He had a report of suspicious people boarding BC Ferries heading for Prince Rupert also on the North Coast of British Columbia.
With this particular call, the members did not realize that this was beginning the beginning of what would become known as the ‘year of the migrants' along the B.C. Coastline. Upon getting this call, we quickly learned that a number of Asian people had boarded B.C. Ferries without luggage, not being able to speak English, and all wearing similar but different clothing, unlike others travelling and or living in the Charlottes. In fact a local Prince Rupert Laundromat owner contacted the Marine Detachment stating that a number of Asian people had shown up in his store without luggage. He watched them one by one, enter the public washroom, handing clothes out the door, laundering their clothes one by one. So here it was in the Fall of 1998 that a Coast Watch Bulletin was published by the Marine Detachment, in the off chance that a landing had occurred. The RCMP Immigration, Passport and Citizenship Enforcement Section had also learned that there had been a (confirmed) landing of a number of Migrants by large Vessel off of the remote North West Shore of Vancouver Island. Again the observation of a sharp citizen in that Community of less than 30 people that tipped the RCMP, a citizen well aware of the Coast Watch Program which the Marine Members had told him about years ago. It was also not a surprise that in July of 1999 when an badly listing, badly rusted and abandoned ship was discovered off of the North West Tip of the Queen Charlotte Islands. It sank before any surface craft could get to it to check it out. Again in at the beginning of August 1999 another ship of Migrants was encountered off of Vancouver Island which now gave us an indication that we might be seeing an epidemic. Migrant Ship Number Two 1999:It was at 08:30 am on an August morning of 1999 that the RCMP "Inkster" crew was alerted of yet another suspected migrant vessel. The 72 foot Catamaran with a crew of four members departed Prince Rupert for the Charlottes to take part in a Multi Agency Operation. After passing through the shallows at Skidegate Narrows some 4 hours later, a meeting was held on the 170 foot Coast Guard Cutter "Tanu" of various members from the RCMP Emergency Response Team, Citizenship and Immigration Canada, and Ships Crew from the Canadian Coast Guard. Throughout the night the Ship was tracked by our DND Counterparts while RCMP and COAST GUARD Vessels slipped along the Western Shoreline in anticipation for a landing of this Migrant Ship. All the while logistical support from Detachment Personnel from the Queen Charlotte and Vancouver Island Detachments lent support ensuring all aspects of this Investigation were not only anticipated but covered. Two other high speed 63 foot RCMP Patrol Catamarans covered up towards the North Tip of Vancouver Island in anticipation of covering the "Inkster" with other compliments of ERT Members. The assistance of the Military, Rescue Coordination Center, Coast Guard, Parks Canada(Moresby) were also in place to anticipate any mishap and to also lend support when and where required. At by 06:30 am, 132 Migrants had landed on the beach on the extreme south end of the Queen Charlotte Islands and that was when the work began. The "Inkster" with its normal compliment of four members (including Trained Assault Boat Operators), two RCMP Dive Team Members, a full Marine Trained RCMP Emergency Response Team with an Operations Commander, Two RCMP Marine Trained Police Service Dog Teams, an Interpreter, and an RCMP Radio Technician. The "Inkster" also had its two High Speed Ridged Hulled Inflatables used in all RCMP Maritime assaults.  While Coast Guard / Canada Immigration Crews attended to 132 people abandoned on the remote south shoreline, the "Inkster" and its crew of 24 struck out to intercept the Migrant Ship in a sustained sea of 11 feet at a speed of 23+ knots. It was around 1:00 pm when the Ship was finally stopped at distance of 34 Nautical Miles offshore, some 22 miles into International Waters. It was also with the assistance and direction of the Military Aircraft Aurora that the "Inkster" was able to close in on the Ship as quickly as it did. During the operation, RCMP had a call from a 700 foot freighter operating in the vicinity asking if RCMP would like them to assist in getting the ship to stop. This was after the Migrant Ship failed to answer the hail of the RCMP Catamaran. The offer for assistance was greatly appreciated but graciously declined. Issues such as the Legal Territorial Limits were initially of concern to the Commander aboard chasing someone into International Waters. Having been in continuous pursuit where continuity of Surveillance had not been broken, jurisdiction was quickly established as being not a concern. This issue would establish the groundwork necessary for the RCMP Immigration and Passport to lay an Information and Charges with respect to the Immigration Act and the Criminal Code. As the result of stopping and subsequent boarding of the Migrant Ship, its crew of 9 People were escorted back to the Queen Charlotte Islands and then onto Vancouver Island completing a shift that lasted a full 52 ˝ hours for the compliment on the "Inkster". When arriving back to Prince Rupert, cleaning and fueling up, two days later the "Inkster" was again asked to respond to the Queen Charlottes, a distance of 250 Nautical Miles. It took 10 hours in 5 to 6 foot seas arriving at 4:30 am to install the RCMP Emergency Response Team into the bush to search again for missing Migrants who were avoiding detection and capture in the area where they were dropped off. All but one Migrant were retrieved from this remote location. His where abouts have not been established to date. Migrant Ship Number Three 1999:Again in the later part of August 1999, another Migrant Ship was tracked into the North end of Vancouver Island and at 4:30 pm the West Coast Marine Detachment was asked to stop, board and investigate the Ship upon its arrival into Coastal Waters with a compliment of RCMP ERT Members. Again processes were put in place between Canada Immigration, the Military, the Coast Guard, RCMP Immigration and Detachment Personnel lending support to ensure the safe handling of yet another investigation. The "Inkster" again responded from the North Tip of the Queen Charlotte Islands in 4 to 6 foot seas as did the RCMP "Lindsay" from Campbell River all heading towards the Top End of Vancouver Island. At 7:30 am that ship was boarded near Gold River well inside the Canadian Territorial Limits. In this particular case, the ship was in such poor repair and condition that 183 Migrants had to be quickly removed from the Ship to waiting Military and Coast Guard Ships by the members of the "Inkster" and "Lindsay", and included the Ship board Trained ERT Members. Selections - Top of PageFOREST CRIMES ENFORCEMENT In the Spring of 1996, the RCMP West Coast Marine Detachment - North Coast Satellite embarked on a joint exercise to link closer with the B.C. Ministry of Forests - Compliance and EnforcementPersonnel. With the ever increasing rise in Forest related crime occurring along the vast remote B.C. Coastline, it was becoming apparent that a strategy had to be put in place to combat this issue. Between the District Manager of the Forest Service and the RCMP, a letter of Expectation was created between the two Agencies and Joint Enforcement Patrols became common place. By the second year of operation, RCMP / Forestry CES had seized in the neighborhood of $160,000.00 worth of stolen timber resulting in 5 large scale investigations. Further assistance between the RCMP Forensic Identification Section and the District Manager had the establishment of a secure facility between the two agencies where by RCMP FES members would be able to make the necessary Log Matches between Stumps and Trees and therefore drawing comparisons (beyond a reasonable doubt) suitable for Court Prosecutions. In November of 1998, with the re-organization of the 4 person RCMP Forest Crimes Section, and with the ever increasing case load around the Province of B.C. with respect to Forest Crimes, it was agreed by the District Officer for the North District that the North Coast Satellite Marine Detachment would lead in the investigation of Log related Thefts north of Bella Bella and within the Maritime component along the 200 mile remote stretch of B.C. Coastline to the Alaska Border. Further to the success of the program, that by 1999 there was a drop in the number of thefts in the North Coast Forest District along the Coastal Waterways.
KIDS DON'T FLOAT PROGRAM On Friday April 28 2006, members from the Nanaimo based RCMP West Coast Marine Service presented the "Kids Don't Float" Program to the residents of the First Nations Village at Kingcome Inlet, B.C.. They were accompanied by personnel from the Alert Bay Detachment which is situated 40 miles east of Vancouver Island. The RCMP West Coast Marine Service has established the "Kids Don't Float" Program in a variety of remote small villages along the west coast, a program first developed by the Canadian Auxiliary Coast Guard. Kingcome Village is at the head of Kingcome Inlet which is completely dependent on water and air transportation. To access the Village, one needs to travel through Queen Charlotte Straits, through a variety of inlets, then finally up a 4 - 6 mile stretch of river. The risk to drowning in this environment is high particularly for the young children. The "Kids Don't Float" program consists of posting a large sign which identifies the program with various sizes of life jackets hung next to it for access when needed for a trip on the water. Once the child has finished using the life jacket it is returned to a hook near the sign for other children to use. This program has been very successful in numerous other coastal communities promoting water safety around the marine environment. In fact we are told that in some locations, lifejackets for all age groups ended up being donated and hung all over the sign - more than were purchased for the program. The focus for the RCMP is to work towards "Safe Homes and Safe Communities" all across Canada. Programs such as 'Kids Don't Float' targets on that focus as well as on two priorities - Youth and Aboriginal Policing Programs. Selections - Top of PageClick ICON to Email Webmaster 
Note: Information on the page is provided as a public service but we make no warranty as to completeness or accuracy. We welcome comments, suggestions and ideas on how we might expand and improve this service. Due to the nature of our business, and the inherent lack of security on the Internet, we do not recommend the sending of any kind of sensitive information, or any information relating to ongoing investigations. Sensitive matters should be handled by phone or by attending in person to your local police office. Copyright © 2007 RCMP West Coast Marine Service |
This
North Coast Satellite Marine Detachment, resides in Prince Rupert British
Columbia, forty air miles from the Alaskan Border, is the home of the RCMP
Patrol Catamaran "Inkster" and its double crewed operation of eight
members. This Satellite Detachment is a "full conduct" Operation which
investigates files through its North District Office operation. It is
supported by its host West Coast Marine Detachment out of Nanaimo
(Vancouver Island), the home base of another 24 members with 2 clerical
support covering the waters along the B.C. Coastline. This Satellite
Marine Detachment like its counterparts down south, lend support and
coverage to its numerous Detachment Clients which run along the B.C.
Coastline. In all there are approximatly 39 RCMP Detachments and 8
Autonomous Police Departments along the B.C. Coastline which the Marine
Members lend support to. 
Again since the re-organization of the RCMP West Coast Marine
Detachment, there has been a tremendous push to continue with this venture
along the entire B.C. Coastline. As of January 2001, the Marine Detachment
has been successful in establishing a working relationship similar to the
one started in 1996 in Prince Rupert, B.C..