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Royal Air Force Police

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Royal Air Force Police
Royal Air Force Police badge
Active1 April 1918 – present
CountryUnited KingdomUnited Kingdom
BranchRoyal Air Force
TypeService police
RolePolicing,protective security andcounter-intelligence
Nickname(s)Snowdrops
Motto(s)Fiat justitia
(Latin: Let justice be done)[1]
MarchRAF Police March Past
Commanders
Provost marshal
(RAF)		Group CaptainSamantha Bunn
Provost Marshal Warrant OfficerWarrant OfficerJimmy Brown[2]
Insignia
Identification
symbol

TheRoyal Air Force Police(RAFP) is theservice policebranch of theRoyal Air Force,headed by theprovost marshalof the Royal Air Force. Its headquarters are atRAF Honingtonand it deploys throughout the world to support RAF and UK defence missions.

History

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Foreground - Cpl Brian Nash and on the left, directing Army motorcyclist, is Cpl Harry Petters, RAF Police, 2nd Tactical Air Force, 1943–1945, controlling traffic at "Gripper's Cross", a busy roundabout on theCaentoBayeuxRoad inNormandy.

The RAF Police was formed on 1 April 1918, when the RAF was formed by the merger of theRoyal Flying Corpsand theRoyal Naval Air Service.By the end ofWorld WarII there were 500 officers and 20,000 NCOs in the RAF Police. In January 1947, the RAF Provost Branch became a Specialist Branch within the RAF. In December 1950,George VIapproved the badge and mottoFiat Justitia.By 2009, the RAF Police had served in 66 countries around the globe.

Uniform and insignia

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See also:Uniforms of the Royal Air Force

RAF Policenon-commissioned officersandwarrant officersare noticeable by their white-topped caps (giving rise to their nickname of "Snowdrops" ),[3]which they have worn since 1945, and by black and red flashes worn below theirrank slides.RAF Policecommissioned officerswear the standard peaked cap of all RAF officers, with the red and black flashes. In dress uniform, all RAF Police wear a red and blackbrassardon the left arm, reflecting the flashes worn with normalworking dress.In tactical dress, RAF Police personnel wear red "MP"badges,the internationally recognised symbol formilitary police.

The oath

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"I do solemnly and sincerely declare and affirm that as a member of the Royal Air Force Police I will well and truly serve His Majesty the King, acting with fairness, integrity, diligence and impartiality, upholding fundamental human rights and according equal respect to all people; and that I will, to the best of my power, maintain service law and investigate independently and impartially all service offences against people and property; and that while I continue to be a member of the Royal Air Force Police I will, to the best of my skill and knowledge, discharge all the duties of that appointment faithfully according to law."[4]

Role

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Royal Air Force Police member with distinctive armband and white cap in 2011.
A Royal Air Force Police Dog Handler attached to42 Commando,on patrol inHelmand Province,Afghanistan(2011).

The RAF Police are responsible for the policing and security of all service personnel, much like their Royal Navy and British Army counterparts.

Provision of policing, counter-intelligence and specialist security support to the RAF includes:[5]

  • Front line, Response and Law Enforcement duties
  • Criminal and security investigation
  • Serious and Complex Criminal Investigations – aDSCUresponsibility since December 2022[citation needed]
  • Aircraft protection and security
  • Covert Operations
  • Counter Intelligence Operations
  • Cyber andinformation security
  • Military working dogs
  • Force protection (on deployed operations)
  • Close protection of VIPs

In addition to policing, the RAF Police has security investigators tasked with the investigation of non-criminal conduct offences involving security threats.

TheSpecial Investigation Branchhas been disbanded and replaced with the tri-service Defence Serious Crime Unit.

Counter Intelligence Operations Squadron investigate security breaches and support the RAF through the gathering of intelligence and protective security based activities.

These specialist capabilities are supported by forensic and intelligence units. Members of all wings are used for operations overseas, deploying as individuals, with the aircraft they support, or as a formed unit drawn together under the Tactical Police Squadrons. Members of the RAF Police may also specialise inclose protectionduties, ensuring the safety of VIPs and other dignitaries in hostile environments.[6]

The RAF Police are the only branch of the Service Police who operate police dogs within the UK military. They manage all RAFmilitary working dogs,with detachments at some RAF stations. RAF Police dogs and their handlers support overseas operations. Recently, this has included Iraq and Afghanistan, in both patrol and specialist search roles.[7]

The RAF Police is subject to inspection byHM Inspectorate of Constabulary,in the same way as the UK's civilian police forces.[8]

Organisation

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Office of the Provost Marshal (OPM)is the HQ of theProvost Marshal,who holds the rank ofgroup captain.A component of the RAF's Global Enablement Organisation and now re-rolled as theAir Security Force(ASF), the RAF Police is organised into capabilitywingsthat operate both within the UK and overseas.

The Provost Marshal also holds the title Commander of the Air Security Force.

Detachments of RAF Police can be found at someRAF stations.Usually, the detachment consists of aFlight,commanded by either aFlying Officeror aFlight Lieutenant;aFlight SergeantorSergeantusually functions as the seniornon-commissioned officerof the flight.

RAF Police Flights are responsible to and directed by a RAF PoliceSquadron.Squadron HQs are based at the larger RAF stations and provide remote oversight of the Police Flights at the units within their respective area of responsibility. Squadron HQs are themselves responsible to, and directed by, the Deputy Provost Marshal of the RAF Police, who is awing commander.RAF Police personnel are not responsible to, or under the direct command of, the Commanding Officer (Station Commander) of the station at which they are situated; all service police on RAF Police wings remain under the command of the Provost Marshal (RAF). Their authority to act as service police stems directly from theArmed Forces Act 2006.Service police are able to issue lawful commands to any service person, regardless of their rank or trade.

The RAF Police also provides the RAF'sCounter-intelligence & Protective Security(CI & PS) role, similar to that carried out by theIntelligence Corpsand elements of theRoyal Signalsof theBritish Army.IT Security is a further specialisation within the protective security field, and personnel trained to this level are expected to perform all PS and IT Security related tasks. Over 400 RAF Police personnel are seconded to roles within Strategic Command, providing Counter Intelligence and Protective Security capabilities to UK and overseas operations. No Law Enforcement capability is maintained on StratCom.

New operating model, 2021

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The RAF Police is to reform in 2021–2022. These reforms will see Wing Headquarters align with individual RAF groups, and the squadrons align with individual operational forces (e.g. Lightning Force, ISTAR Force, etc.) within their respective groups.[9][10]

Future Operating Model, 2022

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In 2022, HQ AIR instigated a rapid and challenging change program in its operating model for the whole of the RAF.[11]This has seen all single service SIBs amalgamate into a single formation headed by a newly created Provost Marshal (Serious Crime), resulting in the RAF SIB capability being handed to the newDefence Serious Crime Unit.

In November 2022, the 1-star (Air Officer (AO) FP) was re-roled into AO Global Enablement (GE), resulting in the disbandment of the FP Force.

PM(RAF) is in command of the RAF Police, MPGS and associated civil servants. This new force is known as the Air Security Force (ASF). PM(RAF) also now attracts the title of Commander ASF.

Instead of the traditional geographical squadrons, there are now three Police and Security wings and nine capability-facing squadrons. These are:

Wings

  • 1 Police & Sy – People facing
  • 2 Police & Sy – Platform facing
  • 3 Police & Sy – Air Mobility facing Sqns
  • 1 Tactical Police & Sy Sqn
  • 2 Counter Intelligence and Security Sqn
  • 3 Police (Reserves) & Sy Sqn
  • 4 Police & Sy Sqn supporting the Typhoon Force
  • 5 Police & Sy Sqn supporting the ISTAR Force
  • 6 Police & Sy Sqn supporting the Lightning Force
  • 7 Police & Sy Sqn supporting the Air Mobility Force
  • 8 Police & Sy Sqn supporting the 22 Gp Training Units
  • 9 Police & Sy Sqn supporting Battlespace Management & Space Force.

Recent operations

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Royal Air Force Police guarding the Main Entry Point atCamp BastioninHelmand Province,Afghanistan(2013).

In Afghanistan, as part of the RAF's Force Protection Wing, the RAF Police provided security forCamp Bastion[12]along with external support to frontline troops, operating within fighting patrols, detainee handling and Weapon Intelligence Specialists.

On 12 May 2012,CplBrent McCarthy – an RAF Policeman stationed atRAF Brize Norton– was shot and killed while on duty inHelmand Province.[13]

RAF Police, along with other units, took part in the Mobility Guardian exercise in 2017.[14]

Between the 14 Aug 21 and 28 Aug 21, RAF Police deployed onOp PITTINGalongside 16 Air Assault Brigade. Screening and securing approx 122,000 people evacuating from Afghanistan.

Training

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Main article:Defence School of Policing and Guarding
A Royal Air Force Police military working dog handler with a dog during training in 2022.

Ground trades personnel within the Royal Air Force start their service career atRAF Haltonwhere they undergo basic training consisting of 10 weeks. Once this is successfully completed, recruit intakes are dispersed to the various Ground Trades Training Schools.

Potential RAF Police recruits are trained at theDefence School of Policing and GuardingatSouthwick Park,Hampshire, along with recruits of theRoyal Navy Policeand theRoyal Military Police.In order to conduct some of the wider specialist roles, particularly involving the investigation of more serious and complex crime and security investigations, extensive further post-graduation training is provided outside DSPG to all RAF Police specialists by Home Office police forces and training providers. Most of the training requirements of a Home Office police force in terms of detective training and covert operations are delivered to specialist RAF Police elements.

During the 1950s, training was carried out atRAF Netheravonin Wiltshire, and in the 1960s atRAF DebdennearSaffron Walden.Until the mid-1990s, trade training took place atRAF NewtoninNottinghamshire,before moving to RAF Halton inBuckinghamshire.In 2004, all UK service police training was consolidated at Southwick Park.

See also

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References

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  1. ^Pine, L.G. (1983).A dictionary of mottoes(1 ed.). London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. p.75.ISBN0-7100-9339-X.
  2. ^"Royal Air Force".Royal Air Force.
  3. ^Ferguson, Neil (2017). "Part 2: the arms, Chapter 5: trades and branches".For the love of the Air Force: a companion.Chichester: Summersdale. p. 104.ISBN9781786850652.
  4. ^"RAF Police Factsheet"(PDF).RAF Police Associates.2012.Archived(PDF)from the original on 1 February 2017.Retrieved20 January2017.
  5. ^"RAF Police".Royal Air Force.6 November 2012.Archivedfrom the original on 9 November 2012.Retrieved29 January2013.
  6. ^"RAF Recruitment – RAF Police".Royal Air Force.Archivedfrom the original on 21 September 2013.Retrieved24 April2015.
  7. ^"Wetnose Bravery Awards for RAF dogs".BBC News.8 March 2010.Retrieved9 September2020.
  8. ^"Armed Forces Act 2011".Legislation.gov.uk.Archivedfrom the original on 27 June 2014.Retrieved2 October2013.
  9. ^"Introducing the New RAF Police Operating Model".Royal Air Force.12 February 2021.Retrieved13 February2021.
  10. ^"New RAF Police Operating Model - Number 8 RAF Force Protection Wing".RAF.26 February 2021.Retrieved9 March2023.
  11. ^Brown, Simon."The Next Generation of RAF Police".RAF Police Association.Retrieved9 March2023.
  12. ^"7 Force Protection Wing Take Control at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan".Royal Air Force.6 December 2012.Archivedfrom the original on 11 December 2012.Retrieved29 January2013.
  13. ^"Family of Cpl Brent McCarthy pay tribute to 'perfect' son".BBC News.15 May 2012.Archivedfrom the original on 19 May 2012.Retrieved29 January2013.
  14. ^"RAF Force Protection leads on security on Exercise Mobility Guardian".Royal Air Force.8 August 2017.Archivedfrom the original on 11 August 2017.Retrieved11 August2017.
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