West Coast Marine Services
On this page
Lindsay patrol vessel
The waters along British Columbia’s coastline are a source of pride for all British Columbians, described by many as rugged, challenging, and awe inspiring. It is this stretch of coastal waters that is home to the RCMP’s West Coast Marine Services.
Services
- patrols areas from Washington State to Alaska including Haida Gwaii and Vancouver Island, nearly 26,000 kms of coastline in length.
- is made up of three patrol vessels, two stationed around Vancouver Island, and one in Prince Rupert.
The patrol vessels are floating detachments, equipped with the necessary resources and technologies to sustain law and order on the open waters. They provide an effective platform from which specialized policing units such as the Emergency Response Team, Police Dog Service, Forensic Identification Section, Underwater Recovery Team, and Major Crime Units can be deployed.
West Coast Marine Services further provides policing services to the many remote Indigenous communities along BC’s Coast, many that are boat accessible only.
Multi-agency exercises
The RCMP regularly takes part in multi-agency training exercises with our partners at the provincial, national and international levels.
In October 2025, the BC RCMP Tactical Support Group worked alongside the Canadian Coast Guard, the Vancouver Police Department Marine Unit and RCMP’s West Coast Marine Services. The exercises these agencies participated focused on strengthening their skills and operational readiness for large-scale and rapidly evolving scenarios on land and on water.
Strong partnerships and ongoing training with other agencies are vital to keeping our communities safe.
Transcript
[Hovercraft moving onto the water from the beach]
Insp. Veronica Fox, Bronze Marine Commander speaking:
"Today, every drill, every action and every discussion is about one thing. Making sure that we’re operationally ready to protect our waterways and seamlessly serve our coastal communities. "
[Personnel from Canadian Coast Guard, Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Vancouver Police Department walking.]
[Personnel standing in the hovercraft as it travels along the water.]
"It’s vitally important that those involved on marine security come together to train like this. Particularly because we work in such close jurisdictions and in close proximity to each other."
[Pilot and co-pilot speaking to each other in the cockpit while flying a hovercraft.]
"So it’s really great to be able to get out, hone our skills, make sure that we’re operationally sound and able to work together in a marine environment."
[Personnel standing in the hovercraft as it travels along the water.]
"This multi-agency exercise between the Canadian Coast Guard, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police West Coast Marine Services and the Vancouver Police Department is critically important to ensure that our shared operational response in a marine environment is sharp, focussed, and reflexive to changing opportunities and challenges in a marine environment."
[Marine vessels on the water.]
Insp. Veronica Fox, Bronze Marine Commander speaking
"Today’s training is reflective of the spirit of collaboration between the Canadian Coast Guard, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Vancouver Police Department particularly when it comes to enhancing the safety of our waterways and ensuring our capability for joint rapid deployments in a marine environment. "
[Hovercraft flying on the water.]
[Personnel standing in the hovercraft as it travels along the water.]
"Conducting training like this together is important to ensure that we’re able to deploy as a team seamlessly during large events."
[Hovercraft moving onto the beach from the water.]
- Date modified: