Mauritius Police Force (Redirected from Police of Mauritius)

Mauritius Police Force
Police Mauricienne (French)
Mauritius Police Force emblem
Mauritius Police Force emblem
Agency overview
Formed1 August, 1767
Annual budget 10.3 billion
Jurisdictional structure
National agencyMauritius
Operations jurisdictionMauritius
Size2,040 km2
Constituting instrument
  • Police Act 1974
General nature
Operational structure
HeadquartersLine Barracks, Port Louis
Sworn members12,475 (2013)
Elected officer responsible
Agency executive
  • Commissioner of Police, Mr A. K. Dip
Divisions
8
  • Central Division
  • Eastern Division
  • Metropolitan Division (North)
  • Metropolitan Division (South)
  • Northern Division
  • Rodrigues Division
  • Southern Division
  • Western Division
Website
police.govmu.org

The Mauritius Police Force (MPF) is the national law enforcement agency of Mauritius. The MPF carries out police, security, and military functions on Mauritius, with about 12,500 police officers under the command of the Commissioner of Police. The MPF is part of the Home Affairs Division, which operates under the aegis of the Prime Minister's Office.

Military advisers from India and the United Kingdom work with the Special Mobile Force, the National Coast Guard, and the Police Helicopter Squadron, and Mauritian police officers are trained in India, the United Kingdom, and France. India and the United States provide training to National Coast Guard officers in such fields as seamanship and maritime law enforcement.

Branches

Anti Drug and Smuggling Unit

The Anti Drug and Smuggling Unit (ADSU) is the narcotics and anti-smuggling unit of the MPF. It ensures the legal repression of drugs proliferation in Mauritius and the Outer Islands.

Anti Robbery Squad

The Anti Robbery Squad (ARS) was a dedicated unit of the MPF that combats robbery crimes.

In 2015, then-Commissioner of Police (CP) Mario Nobin created the ARS to replace the defunct Rottweilers SSU. CP Nobin appointed Inspector Seewoo to head the ARS in 2017. But Seewoo's promotion to Chief Inspector raised concerns amongst his colleagues.[why?] By 2020 the new commissioner of police Servansingh transferred Seewoo to Pointe-aux-Cannonniers before dismantling the ARS.

National Coast Guard

The National Coast Guard (NCG) is the coast guard of Mauritius. It was established in 1988 and consists of No. 1 Patrol Vessel Squadron and the Maritime Air Squadron.

The NCG has been modernising its fleet introducing a Kora-class Offshore Patrol Vessel CGS Barracuda in 2015, two Sarojini Naidu-class patrol vessels CGS Victory in 2016 and CGS Valiant in 2017 and ten 14.5m GSL Fast Interceptor Boats in 2016.

MCGS Valiant arriving in Port Louis

The Maritime Air Squadron (MAS) was established in 1990 and operates a fixed wing fleet of three HAL Dornier 228 and one Britten-Norman Defender BN-2T for search-and-rescue missions and surveillance of territorial waters. The Defender entered service in 1992, the first Dornier 228 entered service in 1990, the second in 2004 and third in 2016. The Do 288 can be fitted with 7.62mm gun pods.

The NCG has a maritime tactical unit established in 2010 the Commando Unit or Commandos Special Force. The Commando Unit trains with the Indian Navy's MARCOS and with the French Army 2nd Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment (2e RPIMa) based in Réunion part of FAZSOI.

Vessels

Naval Ensign of Mauritius
Ship Origin Type In service Class Notes
CGS Barracuda  India Patrol boat 1 Kora-class corvette
CGS Valiant Patrol boat 2 Sarojini Naidu-class patrol vessel
CGS Victory
CGS Guardian Patrol boat 1 Seaward-class patrol vessel
CGS Observer 1 AMPL (P-2000)-class interceptor boat

Aircraft

Roundel of Mauritius

In March 1990 one radar equipped HAL Dornier 228 was ordered from India to form a maritime surveillance element by July 1991. This aircraft was reinforced in 1992 by a single twin turbo prop BN-2T Maritime Defender for coastal patrol work. A second HAL Dornier 228 was added to the fleet in 2004 and a third in 2016.

Aircraft Origin Type Variant In service Notes
Maritime Patrol
Dornier 228  India
 Germany
maritime patrol 3
BN-2T Defender  United Kingdom maritime patrol 1

National Security Service

The National Security Service (NSS) is responsible for the national security of Mauritius. It was formerly known as the National Intelligence Unit (NIU) and State Security Service (SSS). During British rule it was known as Special Branch.

Police Helicopter Squadron

Dhruv MK.3 of Mauritius Police Force

The Police Helicopter Squadron (PHS) is the police aviation unit of the MPF. Established in 1974, its main roles are search and rescue and casualty evacuation both inland and at sea; combatting gandia cultivation; traffic patrol and escort of convoys; and VIP transport.

The helicopter fleet consists of four HAL Chetak, one Eurocopter Fennec AS555 and Two HAL Dhruv. The Dhruv helicopter entered service in 2009 followed by MK.3 variant in 2023. Two refurbished Chetak helicopters were gifted by India in 2016.

Aircraft Origin Type Variant In service Notes
Helicopter
HAL Dhruv  India utility MK.1 and MK.3 2
HAL Chetak  India SAR / utility SA316B 4
AS355  France utility AS355 SN 1

Special Mobile Force

Mauritius does not have a standing army; the Special Mobile Force (SMF) is a paramilitary force that fills that role. It was established in 1960 following the withdrawal of two companies of the British East African land forces. The SMF recruited World War II veterans and select police officers and was commanded by British commanders until 1978.

The 1,500-member Special Mobile Force (SMF) and the 500-member National Coast Guard are the only two paramilitary units in Mauritius. Both units are composed of police officers on lengthy rotations to those services.

The SMF is a motorized infantry battalion with five companies, an engineering squadron, and a mobile wing comprising two squadrons equipped with armored vehicles. The SMF training is based on conventional military tactics focused on internal security. It engages extensively in civic works projects.

The SMF has a police tactical unit established in 1979, the Groupement d’Intervention de la Police Mauricienne (GIPM). The GIPM trains with the French National Gendarmerie police tactical unit Groupe d'intervention de la Gendarmerie nationale (GIGN) and the French Army 2e RPIMa.

Special Support Unit

The Special Support Unit (SSU) is the riot police unit of the MPF. It was established in 1986. The SSU consists of five operational units and a training wing.

Police Band

The Police Band is the official musical group of the MPF. It can operate as a military band, a marching band, a string orchestra, and a contemporary pop group. One of its alumni was Joseph Philippe Gentil, a composer best known for composing Motherland, the national anthem of Mauritius. On Independence Day 1968, a national newspaper mistakenly published the name and photograph of Philippe Oh San (the Police Band's maestro at the time) as the anthem's composer, with the remaining newspapers being reprinted with the correction.

Ranks

Mauritius Police Ranks and Insignia
Rank Commissioner Deputy Commissioner Assistant Commissioner Superintendent Assistant Superintendent Deputy Assistant Superintendent Chief Inspector Inspector Cadet Officer Sergeant Corporal Constable
Epaulette Insignia

Small arms

Name Origin Type Variant Notes
Walther PP Germany Semi-automatic pistol
FN P90 Belgium Personal defense weapon
M16 United States Assault rifle M16A2
SIG SG 550 Switzerland Assault rifle
Heckler & Koch G36 Germany Assault rifle
Heckler & Koch MP5 Germany Submachine gun
FN FAL Belgium Battle rifle
FN MAG Belgium Machine gun
FN SCAR Belgium Assault rifle SCAR-L
CZ Scorpion Evo 3 Czech Republic Carbine

See also


This page was last updated at 2024-03-23 16:21 UTC. Update now. View original page.

All our content comes from Wikipedia and under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.


Top

If mathematical, chemical, physical and other formulas are not displayed correctly on this page, please useFirefox or Safari