THUNDER BAY – Officers from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), Brockville Police Service and United States Coast Guard (USCG) recently attended a Shiprider Training Program at the US Coast Guard Maritime Law Enforcement Academy (MLEA) in Charleston, South Carolina.
Canada-U.S. Integrated Cross Border Law Enforcement Operations, better known as Shiprider involves vessels jointly crewed by specially trained and designated Canadian and U.S. law enforcement officers who are authorized to enforce the law on both sides of the international boundary line in shared waterways.
Working together, Canadian and U.S. law enforcement officers are able to transit back and forth across the border to help secure it from threats to national security, as well as prevent cross-border smuggling and trafficking.
Officers from Canadian and U.S. law enforcement agencies are required to undergo joint training in order to participate in the Canada-U.S. Shiprider operations. This mandatory training includes completion of in-class seminars, case-study scenarios, study of related criminal laws, privacy laws and policies of both Canada and the U.S.
Since 2005, Canadian and American Shipriders have set the standard for integrated law enforcement across a shared maritime border. There are currently 240 Shiprider-trained and cross-designated officers. Full-time Shiprider operations have been established in:
- Surrey, British Columbia/Bellingham, Washington State;
- Victoria, British Columbia/Port Angeles, Washington State;
- Windsor, Ontario/Detroit, Michigan;
- Niagara on the Lake, Ontario/Buffalo-Niagara, New York;
- Kingston, Ontario/Alexandria Bay, New York (the Thousand Islands area of St. Lawrence River)
The RCMP would like to thank all of their partners for contributing to the safety of both countries. “These partnerships allow Canadian and American law enforcement personnel to work side by side to permit seamless and unhindered cross-border access on our shared waterways without compromising the sovereignty of either country,” said Inspector Nancy Burniston, Officer in Charge of Great Lakes Marine Security Operations Centre.
For further information please visit: http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/ibet-eipf/shiprider-eng.htm
