From today, the flying team of the general prevention and public rescue office of the Catania police headquarters will also control the coastal area through the use of agents on board jet skis. The service, commissioned by the police commissioner of Catania, has the objective of preventing illegal conduct that could endanger swimmers and boaters along the over 30 km of Catania coastline. The daily patrolling of the coast will allow, in full synergy with the men of the harbor master’s office, to contribute to rescue at sea, thanks above all to the type of water scooters that allow intervention in shallow waters, where dinghies and boats cannot reach large patrol boats.
The increase in boaters in recent years must also go hand in hand with greater control of the territory at sea, therefore the police is starting this service in the province of Catania for the benefit of its citizens and numerous tourists. Every day the operators will patrol the coast, from Plaia to Acitrezza, in order to suggest the best behavior to adopt at sea, so as to avoid serious accidents. It will also be the operators’ duty to check that all public and private seaside resorts are equipped with personnel and equipment useful for rescue.
“The policemen attended and passed a qualification course at the Cnes of La Spezia, a police center of excellence, responsible for training nautical teams and divers. The operators were trained, not only for the activity of repressing any conduct contrary to the provisions of the navigation code, but also to rescue in the water”, explain the police station. “Among the experts, operators in the control of the territory of inland waters and the open sea are also trained through the use of watercraft that have a power of 180 horsepower, with an engine with a displacement of 1800 cc, hydrojet propulsion , which allows you to reach 60 knots, around 100 km per hour – we read in the note – The police always looks to the future by focusing on important and functional technological innovations, in order to guarantee the safety of swimmers and of all those who attend or participate in events that are not only recreational and sporting, such as sailing regattas and swimming competitions. In fact, escort services can also be carried out for boats and personalities on the occasion of summits and institutional events. The presence of motorbikes d “water contributes to strengthening the concept of participatory security, one of the missions of the state police which takes to the streets and sea every day to protect people and to guarantee public order and safety”.
