(a)In addition to floating outpost and patrol launches patrol boats are provided for certain police-stations as an aid to the officer-in-charge in -(i)the prevention of crime and particularly that form of crime in which boats are used by criminals either in going to or escaping from the scene of occurrence ;(ii)the stopping of any particular area after the commission of a crime in order to examine ail suspicious boats and persons coming out of the area under observation ;(iii)the observation of the movements of river-borne traffic during the rains over a larger area than would be otherwise possible and its proper protection.(b)These boats shall be under the control of the Superintendent and are to be employed solely on patrol duties.(c)The limits within which each patrol boat is to be employed shall be determined by the Superintendent. As a rule boats shall not proceed beyond those limits except under circumstances of emergency, such as the pursuit of offenders.(d)Each boat shall ordinarily be manned by not less than one Assistant Sub-Inspector and two constables. They will form a part of the strength of the police-station to which the boat is attached and shall be detailed for boat duty strictly in turn with the other Assistant Sub-Inspectors and constables there.(e)Patrol should ordinarily be confined to especially dangerous spots with provision for surprise visits at uncertain intervals in other areas, according to the incidence of crime. The period for which each party shall remain on duty depends upon local conditions. The Superintendent shall use his discretion in the matter.Note. - This does not, of course, apply to special circumstances, such as a pursuit, when the Assistant Sub-Inspector-in-charge must use his discretion.(f)In each group of officers detailed for duty in the patrol boat there shall be two officers at least who have recently fired their musketry course and know the use and care of arms.(g)Each patrol boat shall be provided with two muskets from the station with 20 rounds ball ammunition per musket and 10 rounds buckshot ammunition per petrol boat. The packets of ball ammunition shall not be opened until required, but one packet of buckshot ammunition shall be opened, 5 rounds being kept loose in the pouch of each constable on duty.(h)An armed sentry shall always be on duty to be relieved every four hours. The muskets when not in use shall be securely fastened to the boat by drawing a chain or bar through the trigger-guards:(i)Each patrol boat shall have a crew of not less than one manjhi (steersman) and two mallahs (rowers), and be equipped with a serviceable sail and mast.(j)Any one of the crew absent without leave shall be fined 8 annas for every day or part of a day he is so absent. The officer-in-charge shall note such absences in the acquittance roll of the crew. The amount of fine for unauthorized absences shall be deducted from the contract amount payable monthly to the person from whom the boat is hired.(k)The round of weekly duties of the patrol boat shall ordinarily be as below:-(i)Patrol - Four days.(ii)Observation of traffic in the vicinity of the police-station - Two days.(iii)Rest - One day.These duties may be varied at the discretion of the station officer, the days of patrol, observation or rest being altered every week, so that the direction of the patrol or the day of rest or observation may not be anticipated. One day's rest a week must be given, if possible, to the crew.(1)Every patrol will be carried out under the definite written orders of the officer-in-charge of the police-station who should detail-(i)the streams and khals to be patrolled;(ii)the villages to be visited;(iii)the kind of information to be collected;(iv)the persons to be looked for; and(v)the. kinds of boats to be watched and, if necessary, examined.(m)In sending out a boat for patrol or for observation, etc., the station officer shall, as far as possible, so arrange that an immediate message can be sent out quickly to it, on the occurrence of any emergency, such as a dacoity, in order that the boat may change its course or come back to the police-station.(n)In performing the duties detailed above, the boat staff shall -(i)find out all about the boats moored at the ghats, viz., where they come from, where they are going to, what they carry, with special regard to any suspicious circumstances indicating the possibility that they are concerned in crime ;(ii)treat all ghasi and sip boats ordinarily with suspicion and, if any reasonable suspicion exists, shall examine them, asking and noting the names of all the passengers and crew, their destination, the place from which they have come, etc., and then, if necessary, place them under observation until searched according to the provisions of section 165, Code of Criminal Procedure ;(iii)on the occurrence of a dacoity, keep under observation every ghasi or sip boat found within a reasonable distance and time of the occurrence, until searched as in clause (ii) above ;(iv)make careful enquiries, particularly at night, about gayana boats found shortly after a dacoity, as these boats also are not always above suspicion ;(v)seize and suspicious property found, such as ram daos, kukris, sledge-hammer, chhenis, swords, spears, masks, torches, firearms, etc.;(vi)give as far as possible convoy to boats passing through any particularly dangerous part of the route ; and(vii)get acquainted with the different towns and villages on and near the rivers and the habits of the people living therein.(o)The station patrol boats shall not be used either as a means of conveyance for police officers or for the ordinary work connected with a police-station, such as the serving or execution of processes, domiciliary visits of bad characters, etc., but advantage may be taken of them to check the work of chaukidars at night or to ascertain the whereabouts of bad characters or suspects on the report of an occurrence.(p)The Assistant Sub-Inspector on duty in the boat shall keep a mufassil diary in duplicate, recording therein his proceedings during his tour of duty and submit it on relief to the officer-in-charge. The duplicate copy of the diary shall be sent each day to the Circle Inspector.(q)Every boat shall have a distinguishing number and a flag. The number shall be painted on the boat and quoted in all correspondence, defect lists, etc.(r)Superintendents shall watch carefully the working of the patrol boats and shall notice their work in their annual reports. Other inspecting officers shall also pay special attention to these boats and notice their condition.(s)The police employed on rivers shall work in concert with the land police. The land police shall, in like manner, work in co-operation with those in the boats, each communicating to the other any information obtained and mutually assisting in the detection and arrest of offenders.(t)The Circle Inspector shall inspect the moving of the patrol boats once every two months, and superior officers as often as they are required to inspect police-stations.IX. - Rural Police.
