Mauritius Police Force

The Mauritius Police Force (MPF) is the national law enforcement agency of Mauritius. The MPF carries out police, security and military functions on the island nation, with about 12,500 police officers under the command of the Commissioner of Police and is part of the Home Affairs Division which operates under the aegis of the Prime Minister's Office.[2][3]

Mauritius Police Force
Mauritius Police Force emblem
Agency overview
Formed1 August, 1767
Annual budget₨ 8.4 billion (2017)[1]
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)[2]
Elected officer responsible
Agency executive
  • Commissioner of Police, Mr Mario Nobin
Divisions
Website
police.govmu.org

Branches

National Coast Guard

The National Coast Guard (NCG) is a branch of the MPF that was established in 1988 and consists of No. 1 Patrol Vessel Squadron and the Maritime Air Squadron.[4]

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.[5][6][7]

Police officers in Mauritius

The Maritime Air Squadron (MAS) was established in 1990 and operates a fixed wing fleet of three HAL Do 228 and one Britten-Norman Defender BN-2T.[8] The Defender entered service in 1992, the first Do 228 entered service in 1990, the second in 2004 and third in 2016.[8] The Do 288 can be fitted with 7.62mm gun pods.[9]

The NCG has a maritime tactical unit established in 2010 the Commando Unit or Commandos Special Force.[10][11] The Commando Unit trains with the Indian Navy special forces unit Marine Commando Force (MARCOS) and with the French Army 2nd Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment (2e RPIMa) based in Réunion part of FAZSOI.[12][13]

Police Helicopter Squadron

The Police Helicopter Squadron (PHS) is a branch of the MPF that was established in 1974 and 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.[14][15]

The helicopter fleet consists of four HAL Chetak, one Eurocopter Fennec AS555 and one HAL Dhruv.[14][16] The Dhruv helicopter entered service in 2009.[17] Two refurbished Chetak helicopters were gifted by India in 2016.[6][18]

Aircraft orgin Type In service Note
HAL Chetak India 4
HAL Dhruv India 1
Eurocopter Fennec France 1

Special Mobile Force

Mauritius does not have a standing army, the Special Mobile Force (SMF) a branch of the MPF, is a paramilitary force established in 1960 following the withdrawal of two companies of the British East African land forces.[19][20] The SMF recruited World War II veterans and select police officers and was commanded by British Commanders until 1978.[19]

The SMF is a motorized infantry battalion with five companies, an engineering squadron, and a mobile wing comprising two squadrons equipped with armored vehicles.[19] The SMF training is based on conventional military tactics focused on internal security.[19]

The SMF has a police tactical unit established in 1979 the Groupement d’Intervention de la Police Mauricienne (GIPM).[21] 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.[22][13]

Special Support Unit

The Special Support Unit (SSU), a branch of the MPF, is a police riot unit that was established in 1986.[23] The SSU consists of five operational units and a training wing.[23]

Police Band

The police band of the MPF is the official music unit of the service. It can operate as a military band, a marching band, a string orchestra as well as contemporary pop group.[24] One of its alumni was Joseph Philippe Gentil, a composer best known for composing The Motherland, the National Anthem.[25] On Independence Day (12 March) in 1968, a national newspaper mistakenly published the name and photograph of Philippe Oh San (the Police Band's maestro t the time) as the anthem's composer, with the remaining newspapers being reprinted with the correction.[26]

References
  1. "Budget 2017-2018: Measures to further reinforce law and order". Government of Mauritius. 19 June 2007. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  2. "15.1 Mauritius Police Force - Part I Civil Service - 2013 PRB Report" (PDF). Pay Research Bureau. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  3. "Overview of the Mauritius Police Force (MPF)". Mauritius Police Force. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  4. "National Coast Guard". Mauritius Police Force. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  5. "Maritime Security - Induction of ten Fast Interceptor Boats". Prime Minister's Office (Press release). 11 March 2016. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  6. "Commissioning Ceremony of CGS Victory and 2 Chetak Helicopters". Prime Minister's Office. 12 December 2016. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  7. "Mauritius Police Force acquires new patrol vessel CGS Valiant". Government of Mauritius (Press release). 17 August 2017. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  8. "Maritime Air Squadron of the NCG celebrates 28th anniversary" (PDF). Government of Mauritius (Press release). July 2018. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  9. Mader, Georg (3 October 2018). "Mauritius arms Do-228 MPAs with gun pods". Jane's Weekly. Archived from the original on 3 October 2018.
  10. Ramessur-Bhoyroo, Preity (3 July 2016). "Garde-côtière: nos soldats des eaux". Defimedia.info (in French). Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  11. Tuyau, Julien (3 June 2010). "La National Coast Guard crée un commando pour lutter contre la piraterie". L'Express (in French). Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  12. "Annual National Coast Guard Commando refresher training by Indian Marine Commando". Indian Navy (Press release). 24 October 2015. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  13. "FAZSOI : Premier exercice bilatéral entre les FAZSOI et les forces de sécurité mauriciennes". Ministry of Armed Forces (Press release) (in French). 28 November 2019. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  14. "Police Helicopter Squadron celebrates its 44th anniversary". Government of Mauritius (Press release). 13 September 2018. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  15. "Helicopter Squadron". Mauritius Police Force. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
  16. Koch, Valerie (24 November 2016). "A Dhruv on Réunion Island". Vertical Magazine. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  17. "Supply of 'DHRUV' Advanced Light Helicopter from India to Mauritius". High Commission of Port Louis, Mauritius. 9 September 2009. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  18. Wakankar, Nitin D (16 December 2016). "Defence Minister Mr Manohar Parrikar Visits Mauritius". Sainik Samachar. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  19. "Special Mobile Force". Mauritius Police Force. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  20. "Military Garrison". UK Parliament Hansard. House of Commons. 7 July 1959. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  21. Vencatareddy-Nursingen, Selvanee (28 May 2016). "GIPM: au cœur de l'exercice de recrutement". L'Express (in French). Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  22. "Les policiers d'élite mauriciens formés par le GIGN". Clicanoo (in French). 26 November 2016. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  23. "Special Supporting Unit". Mauritius Police Force. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  24. "The Mauritius Police Force - Police Band". police.govmu.org. Retrieved 2020-06-02.
  25. Chit Geerjanand Dukhira (1992). Mauritius and local government management. All India Institute of Local Self-Government. p. 43.
  26. "Mauritius – nationalanthems.info". www.nationalanthems.info. Retrieved 2020-07-31.


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