Video: Marine Police Handover Boat to Regiment
This afternoon [Nov 18] the Bermuda Police Service formally handed a Police boat to the Bermuda Regiment. Colonel David Burch, Minister of National Security, said the Regiment Boat Troop will continue to patrol jointly with the Police Marine Unit as required, and that “Our ultimate aim is to see our borders fully protected and patrolled 24/7 jointly by Police and Regiment.”
Officials in attendance include Police Commissioner Michael DeSilva, Acting Chief Inspector Phil Lewis – Insp in charge of the Police Marine Unit; Commanding Officer of the Bermuda Regiment, Lieutenant Colonel Brian Gonsalves; and Officer Commanding Support Company – Major David Curley.
The boat, an Arctic 24 foot rigid inflatable boat with two Yamaha 200 horse power outboard engines, reaches a top speed of just over 40 knots. The boat is being donated along with a spare inflatable collar and other spare parts, and is valued at approximately $50,000.
Photos by Only the Best, click to enlarge:
Colonel Burch’s full statement follows below:
Thank you for joining me this afternoon to witness the hand over to the Bermuda Regiment of this Arctic 24 foot rigid inflatable boat with two Yamaha 200 horse power outboard engines.
The boat is being donated by the BPS with a spare inflatable collar and other spare parts, valued at approximately $50,000.
This type of boat can be used during very poor weather conditions and has a system to right its self. During extreme weather conditions it can take a crew of three who can all be seated and it reaches a top speed of just over 40 knots.
Since July of this year, you will be aware that the Bermuda Regiment Boat Troop has assisted the Police Marine Unit under a Memorandum of Understanding to patrol local waters. This has resulted in the Boat Troop providing soldiers to assist the Police with general patrols and special events such as Cup Match and swimming races. The Boat Troop has provided man power every Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays during this period which has increased patrol presence on the water dramatically during peak periods of boating use by the general public.
Additionally, the Boat Troop has been involved in a number of boating incidents, including the successful search and rescue of a 17 year old boy who flipped his hobby cat off the North Shore during Cup Match and was eventually found floating off the oil docks in St Georges at 10:00 p.m. at night.
The Boat Troop has been trained in the use of all of the Police boats and best practices, not only for this Rigid Inflatable Boat, but also the two additional Boston Whalers and the 52 foot Patrol Vessel MV Guardian. The Boat Troop will continue to patrol jointly with the Police Marine Unit as required.
I do not envisage the role of the Bermuda Regiment Boat Troop ending with this one vessel. Our ultimate aim is to see our borders fully protected and patrolled 24/7 jointly by Police and Regiment.
Today’s hand over is a classic example of joined up Government and more importantly – joined up Ministry. I expect we shall have more examples of this cross Ministry cooperation to share going forward.
“Our ultimate aim is to see our borders fully protected and patrolled 24/7 jointly by Police and Regiment.”
B#tch talkin out his a#s as usual
@Call as it is – inna…lol wat happen to sayin “our ultimate aim is to see our STREETS fully protected and patrolled 24/7 jointly by Police and Regiment”. smh….
National security is just a ministry tailor made for col. Burch. His media campaign of threatening to resign, and play acting in front of the TV “I don’t want to leave” obviously paid off. He knows how to survive,he would have taken a ministry ot toilets.
Maybe we could ask the premier to use the boat to take the 4 illegal immigrants and beach land them in the u.s. Col. Burch could plan and execute the mission, pretty much the same as the Cuban operation. Premier Brown won’t even know what happened, then Brown could sweet talk his friend Obama in the hamptons to find suitable accommodation. It’s only a matter of time before these guys sneak out on their own anyway, but at least we will not have to worry about them downing an aircraft or taking out Washington Mall.
We don’t have to worry about that now.
They’ve been found innocent of all charges. Twice.
Yes! We won’t have to worry NOW.
I’m feeling safer already with that inflatable boat leading the charge. I guess no point in going to that Parliamentary Joint Select Committee on Violent Crime and Gun Violence in Bermuda. Bermuda is a gangstaa paradise.
I can’t stop laughing at the thought that “our borders [are] fully protected” by something that can be defeated by a dart.
No over-inflated sense of importance here… nooooo.
No need for guns on the water…
just go Sports R Us and buy some darts…
are there ANY left for sale I wonder?
Darts…dude this is too funny!
Sorry but credit should be given where credit is due. RIB’s are extremely versatile, stable, and rugged boats and have been proven in use by the USCG and US Navy.
Yes… but will they “fully protect” our borders?
Those were the words used.
gotta love these constructive replies, instead of positive points its so easy to sit back and lambaste, i guess as long as the gangstas dont take aim at mr barrett all is well huh.
Huh? Who mentioned “Mr. Barrett”, other than you.
And yes, it IS “so easy to sit back and lambaste” when something like this happens.
They hand a glorified zodiac boat over to the Regiment and Lt. Col. Burch references “fully protect[ing]… our borders”!
It’s completely ridiculous… and worthy of ridicule.
What I’d like to know is: Where is the “constructiveness” in your reply? Aren’t you just sitting back and lambasting?
I’d REALLY love to know what “mr barrett” has to do with anything…
I’ve been thinking about this and getting more and more confused.
Who is “mr barrett”?
I really have no idea what “i guess as long as the gangstas dont take aim at mr barrett all is well huh.” means.
Can you please explain this? It makes no sense to me.
mr barrett is just a guy who is saddened that his homeland has turned into a gangstaa paradise.
And that has WHAT to do with our borders being “fully protected” by a second-hand inflatable boat?
Interesting article….let’s see – it’s now after midnight in Bermuda. Is anyone monitoring any unknown vessels arriving in Bermuda shores under darkness? Ok you have radar that can detect an moving vehicles…but is there a greeting committee to check documents such as immigration, customs such as the airport and cruise boat docks? Just curious…
as a matter of fact there are…
not sure how many pillows are in these offices in the filing cabinets
Not to worry…Private Curley’s got bandaids in his back camo pocket just in case the rubber boat catches a leak!
Just don’t go fishing Private Curley…those hooks are as dangerous as those darts!
Great! The Regiment just aquired another fishingboat for the boys! Sure, more marine police presence is needed, especially holiday weekends & sunday evenings, when all the waterborne gangtas roar through Paradise Lake on their jetskis. What powers will the Regiment crew have? What do they know about marine laws anyway?
This is just fluff for the press & a way to dispose of an old boat that has a little life left in it. Next year the Regiment will want some over the top new one to replace it.
The last time I was in Bermuda, there was a very nice police boat sitting and just waiting to be taken out for a spin, on night patrol. Let some foreign or unknown object enter into US waters off the coast of Miami and see what happens.
@ US, please explain your resoning for a night patrol. If the vessel in off North Shore, outside the reefs it takes hours to get to the South shore and vise versa. Size of vessel matter.
Miami is not comparable to Bermuda. No way. Thats what you have the Coast Guard for and they deal with thousands of vessels from fishing boats to floating accumulations of logs et al.
Ain’t too much happening out there this time of year except the fool/s that sail by and drop something off but thats another kettle of fish.
I think this is a good idea in relation to assisting ther police. It’s basically back up and presence. Enforcing the Maritime Laws is neither here nor there. Speeding through Paradise Lake is self governing especially when your fuel is fouled.
Seaman are a differant breed. It’s the respect for the coastal waters and open waters that bind, even for the %$#holes.
There are more drunks and punks ( liberally) on the waters during the season than on dry land. I know. I did my time in the Marine Police and it can have easy days but yah gotta know what your doing, how to do it and when to tell your boss…I am not doing it. A good friend and mentor and I were chastised for going out in 80Kts winds. Not knowing where we were or the area he concluded that we knew not what we did.
Enough.
Why is it whenever Birch opens his mouth, I get worried? Why is it that every time he opens his mouth, I feel like we live in gangsta’s paradise? For everything that Paula is doing to calm things down and provide a sense of security, people like Birch are erasing. Finally, should I be worried about the “handover” of power from BPS to the Regiment? God forbid the Regiment become some form of a government militia in the future if we continue to go down the Birch / Brown leadership model….
Paula Cox is doing a fantastic job at getting the Island to breathe a collective sigh of relief. She is providing much needed stability and calmness which will in turn have a positive trickle down effect. Like most, I am pleased with most of what she has said and done to date – her only mistake seems to have been leaving Birch in any form of power. I’m not sure her reasoning in giving him this new role, but he’s already proving to be a liability in my opinion…
@ Should I be worried…..no you should’nt. Your making a mountain out of a ant hill.
A vessel is being tranfered to the Regiment as a suppliment and back up. Minister Burch has had his momments but even though I disagree with some of his actions, we don’t know all that they entail.
Anyway, you’ve turned this into a love Paula fest and an anti Burch thing. It’s about support and maritime patrol and enforement.
$50,000!!!! Just where do these dreamers get their values. Given the age, the wear & tear, the many hard hours on those engines you would be lucky to find a sucker who would pay $15,000 for it. It is a shame that the press just swallows then regurgitates this stuff without question.
Check this similar one out http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/2008/Humber-Rib-7m-Destroyer-2081480/Roseneath/United-Kingdom It is only TWO years old.
Not to create more friction but getting back to what Uncle Elvis said about darts et al, the author of that/those comments has no idea about the vessel, most don’t.
You can ‘pop’ all the darts in it you want. It ain’t going knowhere. It still has a hull and is easily stable. Just google RHIB/RIB.
Those parts of the vessel are used for bouyancy et al. So if you want to “dart” something, shoot holes in the hull. Vessels like this are not your usual ‘rubber dinky’ going from yatch to shore.
And to make it even more complicated, ships suck in water just to stay…………….
Fair winds and following darts…………………….
Terry has NOTHING better to do with his time other than make useless and stupid replies to Bernews.
Well apparently “Call it” you want to make this personal. Fine with me. If my comments are that “useless” and “stupid” why do you bring them to others attention.
Now go back to BIAW and get a TSA check. My comments were to …never mind Always the smart ass out there who does’nt know a ball from a strike until called out.
“B#tch- A#s”.
Guess the above quotes were made by someone feeling left out. Oh well….
I call it as I see it. Can’t see much but the vessel…well…lots of noise and in need of repair.
Terry,
Now go back to BIAW and get a TSA check
you need to try better than that,you the one that LEFT Bermuda,
I didn’t.
What the hell has me leaving Bermuda have to do with the subject. Your still grasping at straws and not addressing the subject except to demise me. Deal with your internal problems yet still be acceptable to comments that you can’t address without…well…1-800-call. Kinda sad since you want the upper hand when challenged with facts.
You stuck? Blame it on someone else as usual or man up and put a name to face that exists in you and your friends minds. Sound like another SOB…………………
As for me leaving, I did it for my best. You haven’t, thats for you to deal with. My plate is empty and I can fill it within reason and want.
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