Police watercraft

Police watercraft are boats or other vessels that are used by police agencies to patrol bodies of water. They are usually employed on major rivers,^[1] in enclosed harbors near cities or in places where a stronger presence than that offered by the harbormaster or coast guard is needed.

Police boats sometimes have high-performance engines in order to catch up with fleeing fugitives on the water. They have been used since the beginning of the 20th century.^[2]