Unless incidents are reported to Police there will never be enough evidence to justify an increase in police activity on the water. All members need to realise that, although the chances of recovery of stolen items may not be very good, there is absolutely no hope for improvement until incidents are reported. The road to improvement may be slow but every person who does not report a criminal boat incident to police is subverting the aims of the Marine Watch organisations.
    Incidents, no matter how trivial, should initially be reported to any of the police stations in the area or to the Marine Area Command - (Formerly Water Police) on 1800 658 784- taking care to record the Police Event Number. When submitting a Police report, members should also ask the police officer to include the words "Marine" and "your Marine Watch name" at the beginning of the report.- this allows important correlation with Marine Watch records. This report is best done in person, although a phone report will usually be the most practical method. The Police report should then be followed up by a report to the relevant Marine Watch Sector / Committee person. Busy Police Officers may request you to call the Police Assistance Line (PAL) 131 444
  If you call the Police Assistance Line & it is busy you will be offered a call back option. Make sure you give brief details of the nature of the incident as well as your phone number.   This is to allow a priority to be assigned to each incident requiring a call back.

Leaving The Boat
1. Don't advertise your absence from the boat by radio
2. Leave a light and / or radio on.
3. Tell a neighbour where you'll be.
4. Leave a cockpit light on at night.

Dinghy Security
1. Lock the dinghy to the boat at night. Better to lift it out.
2. Lock the engine to the dinghy. Better to take if off an store it in a locked lazarette at night.
3. On shore lock the dinghy & engine to each other and to a secure item on the shore or jetty.
4. Don't even use a flash looking dinghy - beware that inflatables are more prized by thieves.
5. Give the dinghy a name but NOT that of the parent vessel - which would help to advertise your absence.

Self Defence
1. Plan for both an active and passive confrontation.
2. Firearms must be declared and in some places will be illegal - they are probably more trouble than they are worth.
3. Shock devices e.g. mace may be legal. Flare pistols are legal safety devices in many places and flares are normal safety items.. Always remember that firing a device at someone will often provoke an escalated response.
4. Other defensive items are a boat hook, fire extinguisher, gaff, spear gun and winch / pump handles.
5. Never discuss the presence or absence of firearms on the radio -even to an official boat or someone claiming to be. Ask the official to come alongside for the information to be passed.

6. Leave decoy items around the boat - things like an old wallet with a small amount of local currency or a near empty bottle of spirits.
7. Hide items of value in scattered places
8. Arrange with another crew in the area to keep an eye out for each other's boats. Decide on a listening VHF frequency. Keep a handheld VHF handy at night and when ashore.
9. Have a small portable IR alarm system guard the hatch.

Tactics if Boarded
1. Stay below and lock yourself in.
2. Attract attention - lights, mirrors, whistles and horns & keep up with the loudest racket possible.
3. Use the radio and /or cell phone.
4. If trying to assist another boat also use flares.

Security Ashore
1. Don't carry all your normal wallet items with you (credit cards, licenses etc). Carry the minimum amount of hard cash or travellers cheques.
2. Use pouches for passports and emergency items - but not big ones and where possible suspended or worn inside clothing. Include a list of emergency numbers - e.g. credit card hotline.
3. Beware of crowded areas - especially those popular with tourists.
4. Be alert for diversionary behaviour from a pickpocket gang.
5. Don't use public transport when alone or at night.

       Along with other major infrastructure operations, ports around the world have a heightened sense of security awareness. In response to the risk of terrorism, the Commonwealth Government has interpreted the International Ship and Port and Security (ISPS) Code, through its introduction of the Maritime Transport Safety Act (MTSA) and Regulation 2003.
        In June 2004, the Commonwealth Department of Transport and Regional Services approved Sydney Ports ' security plans for the common port areas of Sydney Harbour and Botany Bay. Sydney Ports ’ security plans are compliant with the requirements of the MTSA and the ISPS Code.
       In the Port of Sydney Harbour, facilities which are required to have security plans under the MTSA are Patrick Darling Harbour cargo berths 3 to 7, AAT Car Terminal at Glebe Island, the two cruise vessel terminals No.8 Darling Harbour and the Overseas Passenger Terminal at Circular Quay, Glebe Island 7/8 bulk materials facilities, White Bay berths 1 to 6 and Shell Gore Cove. Increased security measurements include “intelligence sharing”, new and upgraded fencing and gates, restricted access and ID systems, signage, increased electronic surveillance, perimeter patrols and increased monitoring of the port precinct, particularly the water-side.
       These measures will be progressively rolled out from 1 July to supplement the measures currently in place. In addition to these commercial sites there are a number of naval waters where restrictions apply and where fines may be imposed for infringements. Be careful not to enter areas marked by yellow buoys - Woolloomooloo and Balmoral. Anchoring is prohibited in other areas - Man of War Anchorage between Garden Island and Point Piper, Woollahra Point across Clark island to Nielsen park, Chowder bay and the east side of Athol Bay.
       Harbour control transmits a warning hourly on Channel 13 for vessels to stay 60 metres clear of naval installations.
       For more information contact NSW Maritime on 9563 8511.

REVS stands for the Register of Encumbered Vehicles. It is a statutory public register which assists:
      · the general public
      · the finance sector
      · the motor trade
The register holds information about motor vehicles and boats that have been used as security for a loan from a bank, finance company, credit union or other credit provider.
                  For a full picture check the website http:// www.revs.nsw.gov.au/about/revsboat.htm

      On a September night last year, after darkness had fallen on Sydney Harbour, a group of thieves waded quietly into the $12 million lair of the NSW Water Police. While officers manned the heavily-secured Balmain command centre, the robbers calmly climbed aboard a police boat berthed below and helped themselves to high-tech equipment holding potentially sensitive police intelligence.
     Superintendent Terry Dalton, who runs the NSW Marine Command Centre, has confirmed "thieves did rob a police boat berthed at Balmain" and that "investigations are ongoing". But he declined to comment further "for the sake of the security of my officers". Boat industry sources say police immediately began making inquiries about top-of-the-line laptops worth many thousands of dollars. The computers were reportedly carrying sophisticated radar equipment and may also have stored highly confidential information about harbour security and criminal activity - but police have refused to discuss their contents.
     The break-in is part of a wider problem on the harbour. Boat-owners complain they are unable to guard their vessels against thieves hunting expensive Global Positioning System equipment and other technology. The marine crime prevention officer for Sydney Water Police, Fran Batten, said there had been almost 70 reports of thefts or attempted thefts in the Sydney area since August last year. She said not enough boat-owners were investing in locks and alarm systems. At Lake Macquarie, police have received reports of almost 50 boat break-ins on water and land in just the last few weeks.
      On an average day Sydney Water Police patrol 480 kilometres of foreshore with just one or two boats, each usually carrying two or three officers. Superintendent Dalton said there was "always the potential to call in boats from other parts of the state". "There's been no crime wave. It goes up and down but overall it's consistent."
The biggest problem, he said, was the fact people left their boats unguarded and unsecured on the water for long periods. Theodore Venardis, a 25-year-old boat-owner, moved his boat to his driveway after he lost $2000 worth of stereo and fishing equipment last year: "I didn't report it - there was no point. Most of my friends have had the same experience." A member of Middle Harbour Marine Watch recently had his boat stripped of about $10,000 worth of sophisticated gear.

Thefts (and attempted thefts) from vessels between August 2005 and February 2006.
                        - Sydney Harbour 15 (3)
                        - Middle Harbour 23 (1)
                        - Manly Cove 7
                        - West of Harbour Bridge 16 (3)
           Total: 68

SECURITY COMMENT
           In the above item a victim of boat crime did not report the theft of $2,000 worth of equipment from his boat.  The action of NOT REPORTING crime does a disservice to the whole boating community.  If the Police don't have statistical evidence of criminal activity they or the responsible politicians can hardly be blamed for a perceived lack of police activity on the water. It is also the reason why Inspector Dalton could prove that "There's been no crime wave".  Off-the-record police comments suggest that at least 50% of crime goes unreported.

                                          THERE IS A POINT IN REPORTING CRIME - NO MATTER HOW TRIVIAL !