A preliminary design for a multi-role police vessel for the River Thames.
The purpose of this design dissertation is to come up with a preliminary design for a new multi role police launch for the Metropolitan Police Marine Policing Unit (MPU) which can be used during the London 2012 Olympics and then after for other police forces that police tidal rivers or estuaries similar to the Thames. With the 2012 Olympics in London fast approaching, likely to be the largest most significant sporting event the United Kingdom has ever seen, there will be a significant increase in the level of security and river traffic in the months leading up to the Games as well as the constant threat of terrorist activity. At present the Metropolitan Police use modified Targa 31’s as their main policing vessels which are a common sight patrolling the River. These vessels are subject to prolonged arduous use and therefore have a limited operating life of between four and five years. The modified Targa 31 only makes up four of the Marine Policing Unit’s twenty two vessels, the rest comprising of a Targa 37 Logistics Support Vessel, three Semi Displacement vessels for use in deploying divers and a number of Rigid Inflatable Boats (RIBs) and dinghies, none of which have been specifically designed for policing. The new design will therefore try to incorporate a number of different vessel roles into one specifically designed police launch. The new design could subsequently reduce the fleet down from twenty two vessels, reducing operating costs which is very appropriate in the current economic climate.