Law enforcement in Palau

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The Euatel, Kabekl M'tal and Bul provide littoral fishery protection. Palau Maritime Police vessel.jpg
The Euatel , Kabekl M'tal and Bul provide littoral fishery protection.
A Palauan police car Palauan police automobile 1.JPG
A Palauan police car

The defense of Palau is the responsibility of the United States, but local police matters are handled by the Palau Police, the national police force. Some of the sixteen states also had separate police departments during the 1980s and 1990s.

Contents

The Palau Bureau of Public Division of Marine Law Enforcement (DMLE) [2] is responsible for marine surveillance, maritime law enforcement, search and rescue in Palau's territorial waters and its 200 nm exclusive economic zone (EEZ). [1] The DMLE operated a Pacific-class patrol boat, the PSS President H.I. Remeliik which has now been replaced by the PSS Remeliik II. They also operate the PPS Kedam for use in maritime surveillance and fisheries control over Palau's EEZ. Its home port is Koror. The DMLE also operate three smaller 15-meter inshore patrol vessels, Euatel, Kabekl M'tal and Bul, used for surveillance of inshore and territorial waters.

The Remeliik was donated and is maintained by Australia, who also provide training for the crew. The other four vessels were donated by The Nippon Foundation and The Sasakawa Peace Foundation. [1] In addition, DMLE have a search and rescue Rigid Hulled Inflatable Boat (RHIB) and a twin 85 hp boat. [3] They are used only for inshore operations. The Bureau of Public Safety Director is Aloysius Alonz. Palau has provided police officers to the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands. Where, Palauan Police officer Bryson Ngiratumerang was contingent commander of the Palauan police serving as part of RAMSI's Participating Police Force (PPF).

The Palau Division of Maritime Law Enforcement has approximately 30 staff, 5 of which are paid for by The Nippon Foundation. [3]

Equipment

Weapons [3]
ModelTypeAmountNotes
M4 Carbine [4] 5.56×45mm NATO Assault rifle 15
Unknown 9×19mm Parabellum Pistol 30
Unknown Shotgun 7
M2 Browning Heavy machine gun 4In use aboard PSS Kedam and PSS Remeliik II
AeroVironment RQ-20 Puma Unmanned aerial vehicle ???Entry into service in December 2020 [5]
Cessna Skymaster Maritime patrol aircraft 1Operated by Technology Service Corporation on the behalf of the United States Air Force [6]

Ships

Former Ships

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palau</span> Country in the Western Pacific

Palau, officially the Republic of Palau, is an island country in the Micronesia subregion of Oceania in the western Pacific Ocean. The republic consists of approximately 340 islands and connects the western chain of the Caroline Islands with parts of the Federated States of Micronesia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coast guard</span> Maritime security organization

A coast guard or coastguard is a maritime security organization of a particular country. The term embraces wide range of responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with customs and security duties to being a volunteer organization tasked with search and rescue without law enforcement authority. In most countries, a typical coast guard's functions are distinct from those of the navy and the transit police, while in certain countries they have similarities to both.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patrol boat</span> Small naval vessel

A patrol boat is a relatively small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defence, border security, or law enforcement. There are many designs for patrol boats, and they generally range in size. They may be operated by a nation's navy, coast guard, police, or customs, and may be intended for marine, estuarine, or river environments.

Pacific-class patrol boat Australian ship class

The Pacific class is a class of 22 patrol boats built by Australia and donated to twelve South Pacific countries. The vessels were constructed between 1985 and 1997 and are operated by the militaries, coast guards or police forces of the twelve island nations. These boats are supported by the Pacific Patrol Boat Program and used primarily for maritime surveillance and fisheries protection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barbados Coast Guard</span> Military unit

The Barbados Coast Guard is the maritime element of the Barbados Defence Force. Its responsibilities include territorial defence, patrolling Barbados' territorial waters and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), as well as conducting maritime law enforcement, counter-narcotic, search and rescue, fisheries and environmental protection and the enforcement of port & harbour regulations. The Barbados Coast Guard currently is based at its headquarters at BCGS PELICAN in Bridgetown, the capital of Barbados. The base consists of a partially enclosed base for the coast guard fleet to dock. It consists of a small fleet, including its flagship BCGS TRIDENT.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tuvalu Police Force</span> Law enforcement agency

The Tuvalu Police Force is the national Police force of Tuvalu, it is headquartered in Funafuti and includes a Maritime Surveillance Unit, Customs, Prisons and Immigration. Police officers wear British style uniforms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">China Coast Guard</span> Coast guard of China

The China Coast Guard (CCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the People's Armed Police of China. The Coast Guard is an armed gendarmerie force, and its cutters are armed. Although the majority of its activities are ordinary law enforcement, it has gained notoriety for its role in territorial disputes in the South China Sea and Senkaku islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency</span> International organization in Oceania

The Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) is an intergovernmental agency established in 1979 to facilitate regional co-operation and co-ordination on fisheries policies between its member states in order to achieve conservation and optimum utilisation of living marine resources, in particular highly migratory fish stocks, for the benefit of the peoples of the region, in particular the developing countries. The office campus is located in Honiara, Solomon Islands

Guardian-class patrol boat Class of patrol vessels built by Australia for Pacific nations

The Guardian-class patrol boats are a class of small patrol vessels designed and built in Australia and provided to small South Pacific Ocean countries as part of the Australian Government's Pacific Maritime Security Program.

PSS <i>Kedam</i>

PSS Kedam is a 40-metre (130 ft) patrol boat, donated by the Nippon Foundation and Sasakawa Peace Foundation to Palau, to help it patrol its exclusive economic zone.

PSS Remeliik is a Pacific Forum-class patrol boat, designed and built in Australia, and donated to Palau, to help the nation patrol its exclusive economic zone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Euatel</span>

The Euatel is a patrol vessel operated by Palau's Division of Marine Law Enforcement. She was donated to Palau by the Nippon Foundation and Sasakawa Peace Foundation. She is the third vessel of her class to be donated to Palau. She was delivered on April 25, 2017, and her sister ships, Kabekl M’tal and Bul in 2015 and 2012.

RVS <i>Tukoro</i>

RVS Tukoro is a Pacific Forum patrol boat that performs fishery protection, search and rescue and sovereignty patrols for Vanuatu. Tukoro is one of twenty-two small patrol vessels Australia designed and built for smaller fellow members of the Pacific Forum, after the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea established that all maritime nations were entitled to exercise control over a 200-kilometre exclusive economic zone.

RFNS <i>Kiro</i> (203)

RFNS Kiro (203) was one of three Pacific Forum patrol boats operated by Fiji. She was the last of the three to be launched, in May 1995, and the first to be retired, when she ran aground and was deemed unsalvable, in 2016.

RSIPV <i>Lata</i> Australian patrol boat given to Solomon Islands

RSIPV Lata is one of the Pacific Forum patrol boats Australia gave to the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force.

RMIS <i>Lomor</i>

RMIS Lomor (03) is a Pacific Forum-class patrol boat operated by the Republic of Marshall Islands Sea Patrol. Lomor is one of twenty-two small patrol vessels Australia designed and built for smaller fellow members of the Pacific Forum, after the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea extended a 200-kilometre (108 nmi) exclusive economic zone for all maritime nations.

PSS <i>Remeliik II</i> Patrol boat

PSS Remeliik II is a Guardian-class patrol boat in the service of Palau's Division of Maritime Law Enforcement, built, and provided by Australia to replace the Pacific Forum patrol boat PSS Remeliik. In the late 1980s and early 1990s Australia helped its smaller neighbours, in the Pacific Forum by building small patrol boats so they could protect their own sovereignty. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), had extended an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) 200 kilometres (120 mi) off the shores of all maritime nations, and for small Island nations in the Pacific protecting their EEZ would be an overwhelming problem.

RSIPV <i>Gizo</i> Guardian-class patrol boat

RSIPV Gizo (05) is a Guardian-class patrol boat in service with the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force Maritime Department. She was the fifth boat of her class to be completed. Australian officials officially handed her over to representatives of the Solomon Islands on 8 November 2019, at the Austal shipyard in Henderson, Western Australia.

RKS <i>Teanoai</i>

RKS Teanoai (301) was a Pacific Forum-class patrol boat operated by the Republic of Kiribati Police. Teanoai was one of twenty-two small patrol vessels Australia designed and built for smaller fellow members of the Pacific Forum, after the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea extended control of a 200-kilometre (108 nmi) exclusive economic zone for all maritime nations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Republic of Fiji Navy</span> Military unit

The Republic of Fiji Navy or Fijian Navy is the naval branch of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces. Formerly known as the Royal Fijian Navy, it was established after Fiji ratified the recently created 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The Convention established that maritime nations had an Exclusive Economic Zone of 200 kilometres, which extended Fiji's waters twentyfold, from 50,000 square miles (130,000 km2) to over 1,000,000 square miles (2,600,000 km2), necessitating a more substantial naval force to enforce Fijian jurisdiction and protect economic activity in the Fijian EEZ.

References

  1. 1 2 3 L.N. Reklai (2017-04-25). ""Euatel" patrol boat handover today". Island Times . Retrieved 2018-04-22. This is third in the series of patrol boats of this size donated by The Nippon Foundation to Palau. Kabekl M'tal was donated in 2012 and Bul was donated in 2014.
  2. "Division of Marine Law Enforcement – PalauGov.pw" . Retrieved 2019-12-10.
  3. 1 2 3 "The Republic of Palau Exclusive Economic Zone: Monitoring, Control, and Surveillance" (PDF).
  4. Palau Police m4 Familiarization Fire B-Roll + Interview:Lt. Col. Douglas Graham PALAU 04.15.2019 , retrieved 2023-05-26
  5. "Pacific Islands Maritime Security Workshop National Maritime Intelligence-Integration Office Workshop Report" (PDF). 2020.
  6. Somers, Adam. "Sea Dragon to help watch Palau's waters". Archived from the original on 2021-03-02.