CHARLESTON, S.C. — Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers and their U.S. Coast Guard law enforcement counterparts are scheduled to participate in a rigorous two-week joint U.S.-Canadian maritime patrol training program starting Dec. 8, 2014, at the Coast Guard’s Maritime Law Enforcement Academy in Charleston, S.C.
Under the Shiprider program, specially-trained, cross-designated Coast Guard and RCMP officers perform joint patrols in the maritime areas between Canada and the United States, resulting in seamless law enforcement and security operations on both sides of the border.
Shiprider was initiated in 2005 as an integrated cross-border maritime law enforcement operation between the U.S. and Canada. Shiprider removes the international maritime boundary as a barrier to law enforcement by enabling seamless continuity of enforcement and security operations across the border.
“The partnerships that develop between U.S. Coast Guard and Canadian students during Shiprider training are an important element to this program’s success,” said Cmdr. Tom Walsh, Jr., MLEA commanding officer. “Once these students graduate, they will work together to implement seamless operations that integrate joint law enforcement teams to combat and deter transnational criminal activity on the shared waterways along our borders."
Coast Guard and RCMP instructors jointly teach the two-week Shiprider training course to a combined class of students from both countries. Students complete in-class seminars and case study scenarios to acquire an understanding of the criminal laws, privacy laws and policies of both the United States and Canada. Before graduating, the students demonstrate mastery and seamless integration through practical joint-boarding scenarios.
The U.S. Coast Guard Maritime Law Enforcement Academy – the sole provider of Shiprider training for both the U.S. and Canada – was established in 2004 at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center. The MLEA prepares more than 2,800 Coast Guard personnel every year to serve as maritime law enforcement officers.
For additional information, please contact Lt. Shannon Scaff at shannon.f.scaff@uscg.mil.