Water police

Pirates beware!

A retiree meanders leisurely around the top deck of the Queenscliff to Sorrento ferry. He nods g'day as he passes other travellers enjoying the autumn sun and calm waters of the bay. Smiling, his wife passes him a polystyrene cup of milky tea and half an egg sandwich.

Gazing out into the cobalt ocean, something catches his eye. He snaps out of the sun-drenched daze. Charged with twin 225 horsepower Yamahas, three eight-metre rigid hull inflatable boats (RHIB) are rocketing up to the ferry from behind. The boats are black, the engines black, the men lined up inside the crafts are dressed in black.

Two of the RHIBs accelerate aggressively towards the ferry bouncing through the air as they hit each wave. They peel off to each side of the monster 950-tonne ferry, push forward, and rub up against its steel hull.

The passenger does not know what to do. He rushes to the side rail and peers down at the rubber boat 10 metres below. "Up, up, up, up, up, up," yells a man strapped to the front of the RHIB directing a black pole which is quickly extending as another man furiously winds a winch. The pole suddenly appears level with the top deck, a large grapple hook attached.

"Down, down, down, down," the pole-man booms and the hook is fastened to the rail. The pole is detached, leaving a rope ladder dangling from the side of the ferry. To the surprise of the retiree, who is dancing around the railing in excitement, a man in black flings himself onto the ladder and begins a quick ascent, followed by another.

"You look like a spider," the pre-school-aged daughter of the sergeant from Corio police station tells him. The sergeant and his family are day-tripping on the ferry. As quick as the SOG pair board, they pull up the ladder and roll it up methodically as a team. Everything is done like clockwork as a team. Two other members are mirroring the exercise across the deck.

A crowd of passengers watch as the RHIBs rapidly, yet gracefully pull away from the ferry, turning behind the vessel and accelerating through the turbulent, fluffy white wake toward the stern. The SOG members file down three flights of stairs, and climb effortlessly from the stern into the waiting RHIBs.

"Goodbye spiders," the sergeant's daughter yells as the RHIBs take off.

The unsuspecting ferry passengers have just witnessed a Victoria Police Marine Response Team (MRT) training program exercise in action.

The MRT, made up of Water Police members, has attracted world-wide attention.

After three-years in the making, the MRT three-week pilot training program has been viewed by members of the FBI, as well as the Hong Kong, French and Dutch police.

This recent course was the third to be run by the Water Police.

More than 30 Water Police members have completed the highly specialised MRT training and are ready to be deployed should an incident arise.

Acting Senior Sergeant, Steve Towers from the Water Police described the MRT as a police resource to transport specialist groups in strategic marine operations.

"We don't just respond to terror threats, but are prepared to board moving ships that have committed any serious crime, such as the importation of drugs or illegal immigrants.

"The MRT work closely with the SOG in order to provide a safe platform to conduct assaults for level three situations and to be in a position to take control and eliminate the threat," said Towers.

The concept of the team began three years ago.

"A colleague and I went to Hong Kong and completed a two-week course with their Marine Counter-Terrorism Response Boat Team," said Towers.

"Seeing what they did, it was like we'd seen the light.

"Hong Kong's terrorism threat is much greater than ours as they are a major international port. They have 2000 water police, we have 60.

"We sat there at night after the days of the course and realised what we needed to do when we got back," Towers said.

In the 12-day MRT course Water Police are taught to safely drive the RHIBs around large ships to allow specialist members to board.

Members also learn boarding skills in case they are needed to take control of a vessel or assist on the ship.

"Driving these boats is very dynamic, it takes a while to get used to," said Towers.

"The left hand controls steering while the right hand controls two throttles.

"There's no power steering, no brakes, it feels like steering a car with flat tyres until you get it right. Just turning is a five-step process," Towers said.

WATCHOUT MATE!
It is also quite dangerous.

Drivers need to learn to control the inflatable boats in the powerful swells created by large ships, which normally have a two to four-metre high wake.

"The skills members are learning in this course are very unique, said Towers.

"Professional mariners are taught to avoid large ships, in particular their wash. We are teaching members to drive next to these ships and inside their powerful wakes.

"The dangers are that during the interaction between the two vessels, there is a massive amount of water pressure that can cause a smaller vessel to sink or roll," Towers said.

Practice and training is essential for the MRT.

"We are very grateful to Peninsula Searoad Transport for allowing us to use their ferries for our assault training at no cost," Act Sen Sgt Towers said.

"It is very difficult to find a ship and a pilot willing to allow this training to occur.

"If it wasn't for the ferry company, we would still be looking for a place to put our skills into practice," Towers said.

The MRT has already been involved in a number of marine-based operations, including covert assignments during the Melbourne Commonwealth Games in 2006.

Act Sen Sgt Towers says the team will continue to train and adapt to arising challenges.

"It is imperative that we are prepared to intercept and take on anyone who might engage in piracy or any waterborne crime in the state of Victoria," he said.

"We now have this capability and this in itself would be a deterrent to criminal activity," Towers said.

FERRY VS RHIB