Haitian Coast Guard
Encyclopedia
The Haitian Coast Guard, officially the Coast Guard Commission (French: Commissariat des Gardes-Côtes or CGC), is an operational unit of the Haitian National Police
. It is one of the few law enforcement organisations in the world to combine water policing
and coast guard
duties while remaining as a policing unit. It operates primarily as a law enforcement agency, with secondary responsibilities in search and rescue.
Captain James Taylor.
During World War II, six 83-foot cutters, named 1 through 6, were transferred from the US Coast Guard in 1942. Three 121-ton SC class submarine chaser
s, Touissaint L'Ouverture, 16 Aout 1946, and Admiral Killick, were transferred in 1947, along with the 47-ton cutter Savannah and the light transport Vertières. The two picket boats were withdrawn at this time.
In 1948, a US Naval Mission arrived in Haiti.
The transport Vertières sank in 1951 and was replaced by the Artibonite, a LCT which had been previously wrecked on the Haitian coast and was subsequently salvaged.
The Coast Guard remained this way until the Admiral Killick was stricken in 1954 and was replaced by a US-sourced buoy tender given the same name in 1955. In 1956 a new 100 ton coast cutter, La Crête-à-Pierrot, was acquired from the United States. The two remaining sub-chasers were stricken in 1960 which is when the new Vertières, sister to the La Crête-à-Pierrot, was acquired. The US Navy netlayer , renamed Jean-Jacques Dessalines, arrived in 1960 for a five year, extended to 17 year lease.
In 1963, three units — La Crête-à-Pierrot, Vertières, and Jean-Jacques Dessalines — mutinied and shelled the Presidential Palace
in Port-au-Prince
. They were driven off by fighter aircraft and then interred themselves in the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base
. The US disarmed the vessels and relocated them initially to Puerto Rico
and then back to Haiti. Duvalier celebrated this event by renaming the Coast Guard the "Haitian Navy" (La Marine Haitienne).
In 1973, Duvalier attempted to expand this with the purchase of up to 24 small boats, allegedly to include PT boat
s, but these plans came to naught.
In 1976, the Haitian Navy purchased five small patrol craft from Sewart Seacraft of Berwick, Louisiana
. The Dessalines was returned to the United States, while the Admiral Killick, Artibonite and the Savannah and the six 83-foot cutters were stricken.
In 1978, the , a Sotoyomo class tug, was acquired and recommissioned as the Henri Christophe. The planned sale of a sister ship fell through.
The Coast Guard in the late 1980s consisted of only the armed tug Henri Christophe, nine small patrol craft built in the United States between 1976 and 1981, and the old presidential yacht Sans Souci. This small force was manned by 45 officers and 280 enlisted personnel based at Port-au-Prince.
When the Haitian Armed Forces were disbanded in the 1990s, the remnants of the Haitian Navy was renamed the Coast Guard and was transferred to the National Police.
Bases
Ship types
Haitian National Police
The Haitian National Police or PNd'H, is the law enforcement and defense force of Haiti. It was created in 1995 to bring public security under civilian control as mandated in Haiti's constitution. More than 8,500 police officers have completed training in modern law enforcement. U.S...
. It is one of the few law enforcement organisations in the world to combine water policing
Water police
Water police, also called harbour patrols, port police, marine/maritime police, nautical patrols, bay constables or river police, are police officers, usually a department of a larger police organisation, who patrol in water craft...
and coast guard
Coast guard
A coast guard or coastguard is a national organization responsible for various services at sea. However the term implies widely different responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with customs and security duties to being a volunteer organization tasked with...
duties while remaining as a policing unit. It operates primarily as a law enforcement agency, with secondary responsibilities in search and rescue.
History
The Haitian Coast Guard (Garde Côtière Haïtienne) was formed in the late 1930s, 20 years after the disbandment of the Haitian Navy, and was equipped with two small picket boats named 1 and 2 and the 161-ton Sans Souci. The latter was formerly the American yachtYacht
A yacht is a recreational boat or ship. The term originated from the Dutch Jacht meaning "hunt". It was originally defined as a light fast sailing vessel used by the Dutch navy to pursue pirates and other transgressors around and into the shallow waters of the Low Countries...
Captain James Taylor.
During World War II, six 83-foot cutters, named 1 through 6, were transferred from the US Coast Guard in 1942. Three 121-ton SC class submarine chaser
Submarine chaser
A submarine chaser is a small and fast naval vessel specially intended for anti-submarine warfare. Although similar vessels were designed and used by many nations, this designation was most famously used by ships built by the United States of America...
s, Touissaint L'Ouverture, 16 Aout 1946, and Admiral Killick, were transferred in 1947, along with the 47-ton cutter Savannah and the light transport Vertières. The two picket boats were withdrawn at this time.
In 1948, a US Naval Mission arrived in Haiti.
The transport Vertières sank in 1951 and was replaced by the Artibonite, a LCT which had been previously wrecked on the Haitian coast and was subsequently salvaged.
The Coast Guard remained this way until the Admiral Killick was stricken in 1954 and was replaced by a US-sourced buoy tender given the same name in 1955. In 1956 a new 100 ton coast cutter, La Crête-à-Pierrot, was acquired from the United States. The two remaining sub-chasers were stricken in 1960 which is when the new Vertières, sister to the La Crête-à-Pierrot, was acquired. The US Navy netlayer , renamed Jean-Jacques Dessalines, arrived in 1960 for a five year, extended to 17 year lease.
In 1963, three units — La Crête-à-Pierrot, Vertières, and Jean-Jacques Dessalines — mutinied and shelled the Presidential Palace
Presidential Palace
A Presidential Palace is the official residence of the president in some countries. However, some countries do not call the official residence of a head of state a presidential palace...
in Port-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince is the capital and largest city of the Caribbean nation of Haiti. The city's population was 704,776 as of the 2003 census, and was officially estimated to have reached 897,859 in 2009....
. They were driven off by fighter aircraft and then interred themselves in the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base
Guantanamo Bay Naval Base
Guantanamo Bay Naval Base is located on of land and water at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba which the United States leased for use as a coaling station following the Cuban-American Treaty of 1903. The base is located on the shore of Guantánamo Bay at the southeastern end of Cuba. It is the oldest overseas...
. The US disarmed the vessels and relocated them initially to Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
and then back to Haiti. Duvalier celebrated this event by renaming the Coast Guard the "Haitian Navy" (La Marine Haitienne).
In 1973, Duvalier attempted to expand this with the purchase of up to 24 small boats, allegedly to include PT boat
PT boat
PT Boats were a variety of motor torpedo boat , a small, fast vessel used by the United States Navy in World War II to attack larger surface ships. The PT boat squadrons were nicknamed "the mosquito fleet". The Japanese called them "Devil Boats".The original pre–World War I torpedo boats were...
s, but these plans came to naught.
In 1976, the Haitian Navy purchased five small patrol craft from Sewart Seacraft of Berwick, Louisiana
Berwick, Louisiana
Berwick is a town in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 4,418 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Morgan City Micropolitan Statistical Area....
. The Dessalines was returned to the United States, while the Admiral Killick, Artibonite and the Savannah and the six 83-foot cutters were stricken.
In 1978, the , a Sotoyomo class tug, was acquired and recommissioned as the Henri Christophe. The planned sale of a sister ship fell through.
The Coast Guard in the late 1980s consisted of only the armed tug Henri Christophe, nine small patrol craft built in the United States between 1976 and 1981, and the old presidential yacht Sans Souci. This small force was manned by 45 officers and 280 enlisted personnel based at Port-au-Prince.
When the Haitian Armed Forces were disbanded in the 1990s, the remnants of the Haitian Navy was renamed the Coast Guard and was transferred to the National Police.
Current Coast Guard
The marine police is exercised by a specialized unit of the National Police called the Corps des Gardes-Côtes or Coast Guard. This unit was created July 16, 1996 and is based Bizoton.Role and mission
The core mission of the Coast Guard is to secure the maritime area of Haiti through surveillance of territorial waters and the safety of maritime navigation divided into these different functions:- Perform active surveillance of the national maritime areas;
- Ensuring compliance with laws and regulations regarding fishing and navigation;
- Participate in the fight against drug trafficking;
- Participate in the fight against all forms of crime.
Structure
The Coast Guard consists of a command post (CP) include: Commandant of the Coast Guard, an Assistant Commandant, an Operations Manager and Head of the Administration and three basic units:Bases
- KillickKillickKillick is the Haitian Coast Guard base in Port-au-Prince. It is the main base for the Coast Guard. It is the other port for the city, aside from the main Port international de Port-au-Prince. It is located about 10 miles outside of downtown Port-au-Prince, and is about a century old...
, the base of Port-au-PrincePort-au-PrincePort-au-Prince is the capital and largest city of the Caribbean nation of Haiti. The city's population was 704,776 as of the 2003 census, and was officially estimated to have reached 897,859 in 2009....
- equipped with: 6 vedetteVedetteThe French military term vedette , also spelled vidette, migrated into English and other languages to refer to a mounted sentry or outpost, who has the function of bringing information, giving signals or warnings of danger, etc., to a main body of troops...
s and 4 patrol boatPatrol boatA patrol boat is a relatively small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defense duties.There have been many designs for patrol boats. They may be operated by a nation's navy, coast guard, or police force, and may be intended for marine and/or estuarine or river environments...
s.
- equipped with: 6 vedette
- The base of Cap-HaïtienCap-HaïtienCap-Haïtien is a city of about 190,000 people on the north coast of Haiti and capital of the Department of Nord...
- equipped with: 4 vedettes and 2 patrol boats.
- The base of JacmelJacmelJacmel, also known by its indigenous Taíno name of Yaquimel, is a town in southern Haiti founded in 1698. It is the capital of the department of Sud-Est and has an estimated population of 40,000, while the municipality of Jacmel had a population of 137,966 at the 2003 Census.The buildings are...
- equipped with: 2 vedettes and 1 patrol boat.
Ship types
- vedetteVedetteThe French military term vedette , also spelled vidette, migrated into English and other languages to refer to a mounted sentry or outpost, who has the function of bringing information, giving signals or warnings of danger, etc., to a main body of troops...
: 40 foot boat - ex-Haitian naval cruisers c.1980s - patrouilleur: 32-foot patrol boat called GO FASTGo-fast boatA go-fast boat, or cigarette boat, is a small, fast boat designed with a long narrow platform and a planing hull to enable it to reach high speeds....
for fast response.