The state government is continuing to invest in the Water Police (WSP). The plan is to purchase four new boats worth around five million euros by August 2022. "We are continuing to modernize the water police fleet. The future operational boats will be equipped with the latest technology and will improve the effectiveness of the water police in North Rhine-Westphalia," said Interior Minister Herbert Reul during a visit to the water police in Duisburg. "These are boats that will have the best technology and the latest equipment and can make work easier."

A total of 275 officers work for the North Rhine-Westphalian waterway police; they currently have a fleet of 24 boats at their disposal. The waterway police ensure safety on the approximately 900 kilometers of waterways in the state: on the Rhine, Weser, Ems, Ruhr and the North German canals. There are around 230,000 ship movements there every year. The police officers of the waterway police are responsible for controlling and regulating shipping traffic and monitoring environmental regulations at 13 locations in North Rhine-Westphalia.

Too many bathing deaths in NRW

"Just like on land, we are first and foremost responsible for emergency response, only on the water," explains Carsten Rodehüser, Deputy Head of the WSP. "And then there's a whole package of additional tasks." Above all, there are lots of ship inspections. Last year alone, the WSP inspected 12,700 ships in NRW: Are the cargo ships' papers correct? Are the cargo regulations being adhered to? Has the barge operator observed break times? What is the safety situation when boats are carrying dangerous goods?

The hot summer of 2018 brought completely different challenges for the waterway police: by the end of July this year, there had already been 22 deaths in NRW waters, including numerous swimming fatalities. Swimming in rivers with strong currents is life-threatening: the natural current alone poses a danger, and then there is the enormous suction effect of passing barges, explained Carsten Rodehüser. "However tempting it may be, swimming in the Rhine is life-threatening," Herbert Reul also warned. The water police are also often the first on the scene of shipping accidents. There were 200 accidents last year. "These range from lost cargo to wrecked ships," says Rodehüser. There were 40 injuries and two fatalities in shipping accidents last year.

WSP needs a lot of expertise

In order to do justice to the tasks of the water police, the officers complete up to four years of additional training. "Working on a ship is particularly challenging. We have to prepare our police officers well for this," emphasized Interior Minister Reul. After all, they need to have a great deal of specialist knowledge for their work. Carsten Rodehüser: "The regulations that we enforce and monitor are becoming more and more extensive." This also includes EU regulations and stricter provisions to combat terrorism.