Royal Air Force Police
Encyclopedia
The Royal Air Force Police (RAFP) is the Service Police branch of the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...

. It was formed on 1 April 1918, when the RAF was formed by the merger of the Royal Flying Corps
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...

 (RFC) and the Royal Naval Air Service
Royal Naval Air Service
The Royal Naval Air Service or RNAS was the air arm of the Royal Navy until near the end of the First World War, when it merged with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps to form a new service , the Royal Air Force...

 (RNAS). It is responsible for the policing of all service personnel much like there RN or Army counterparts. The RAFP are usually based within RAF stations and installations.

RAF Police non-commissioned officers and warrant officers are noticeable by their white-topped caps (giving rise to their nickname of Snowdrops), which they have worn since 1945, and by black and red flashes worn below their rank slides (known as Mars Bars
Mars Bar
Mars is a chocolate bar manufactured by Mars, Incorporated. It was first manufactured in Slough, Berkshire in the United Kingdom in 1932 as a sweeter version of the US Milky Way bar which Mars, Inc. produced...

). RAF Police commissioned officers wear the standard peaked cap of all Royal Air Force officers, although they wear 'Mars Bars' in the same way as RAFP NCOs. Unlike their British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...

 colleagues in the Royal Military Police
Royal Military Police
The Royal Military Police is the corps of the British Army responsible for the policing of service personnel, and for providing a military police presence both in the UK, and whilst service personnel are deployed overseas on operations and exercises.Members of the RMP are generally known as...

, RAFP personnel do not wear a distinctive red beret when wearing camouflaged uniform, although they do wear the same 'MP' badges, the internationally recognised symbol for military police
Military police
Military police are police organisations connected with, or part of, the military of a state. The word can have different meanings in different countries, and may refer to:...

 personnel.

Role

  • Security support to RAF air transport fleet worldwide, Including:
    • Searching of passengers
    • Security inspections/reports on airfields.
    • Searching cargo
    • Guarding aircraft
  • Airfield security (in co-operation with the RAF Regiment
    RAF Regiment
    The Royal Air Force Regiment is a specialist airfield defence corps founded by Royal Warrant in 1942. After a 32 week trainee gunner course, its members are trained and equipped to prevent a successful enemy attack in the first instance; minimise the damage caused by a successful attack; and...

    )
  • policing and security support to the RAF at UK airfields or overseas.

Organisation

The RAF Police is headed by the Provost Marshal
Provost Marshal
The Provost Marshal is the officer in the armed forces who is in charge of the military police .There may be a Provost Marshal serving at many levels of the hierarchy and he may also be the public safety officer of a military installation, responsible for the provision of fire, gate security, and...

, who holds the rank of Group Captain
Group Captain
Group captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks above wing commander and immediately below air commodore...

. Group Captain John Whitmell is the current Provost Marshal (RAF).

There is a detachment of RAFP at most RAF station
RAF station
A Royal Air Force station is a permanent Royal Air Force operations location. Many RAF stations are aerodromes, or airbases, being the home to one or more flying squadrons. Other RAF stations are training units, administrative units, headquarters , or carry out ground-based operational tasks...

s. Usually the detachment consists of a flight
Flight (military unit)
A flight is a military unit in an air force, naval air service, or army air corps. It usually comprises three to six aircraft, with their aircrews and ground staff; or, in the case of a non-flying ground flight, no aircraft and a roughly equivalent number of support personnel. In most usages,...

, commanded by a Flying Officer
Flying Officer
Flying officer is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence...

 or Flight Lieutenant
Flight Lieutenant
Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries. It ranks above flying officer and immediately below squadron leader. The name of the rank is the complete phrase; it is never shortened to "lieutenant"...

. Either a Flight Sergeant
Flight Sergeant
Flight sergeant is a senior non-commissioned rank in the British Royal Air Force and several other air forces which have adopted all or part of the RAF rank structure...

 or Sergeant
Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....

 is usually the Senior Non-Commissioned Officer
Non-commissioned officer
A non-commissioned officer , called a sub-officer in some countries, is a military officer who has not been given a commission...

 of a flight. A Warrant Officer
Warrant Officer
A warrant officer is an officer in a military organization who is designated an officer by a warrant, as distinguished from a commissioned officer who is designated an officer by a commission, or from non-commissioned officer who is designated an officer by virtue of seniority.The rank was first...

 sometimes commands a police flight in place of a commissioned officer, or acts as second-in-command of the flight at larger establishments. These flights are then responsible to and directed by RAF Police Squadrons, that are based at larger stations around the UK, who are themselves responsible to, and directed by the Provost Marshal of the RAF Police, through their respective Wing Commanders.

RAF Policemen and women are not responsible to, or under the direct command of, the Commanding Officer of the station at which they are based and their authority to act as Service Police Officers stems directly from the Armed Forces Act 2006. Service Police Officers are also capable of issuing lawful commands to any service person, no matter what rank or trade.

The RAF Police also fulfills the RAF's Protective Security
Counter-intelligence
Counterintelligence or counter-intelligence refers to efforts made by intelligence organizations to prevent hostile or enemy intelligence organizations from successfully gathering and collecting intelligence against them. National intelligence programs, and, by extension, the overall defenses of...

 (PS) role, similar to that carried out by the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...

, Intelligence Corps. Unlike their Intelligence Corps counterparts, who tend to specialise in a particular area, RAF Police Protective Security specialists are trained in all aspects of the role. IT Security (ITSy) is a further specialisation within the protective security field and personnel trained to this level, are expected to perform all PS and ITSy related tasks.

Modern RAF Police flights may operate shift
Shift
Shift generally means to change . Shift may refer to: * Gear shift, to change gears in a car* Shift work, an employment practice* Shift * Shift , a change of level in music...

s, but these are usually only involved in general policing duties and are normally commanded by a Substantive Corporal
Corporal
Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4....

 (larger shifts may require a Sergeant). The police flight will normally consist of a Community Police Section, a General Police Duties Section, and a Protective Security Section.

When deploying on operations (currently Operation Herrick
Operation Herrick
Operation Herrick is the codename under which all British operations in the war in Afghanistan have been conducted since 2002. It consists of the British contribution to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force and support to the US-led Operation Enduring Freedom...

) RAF Policemen and women are employed on Counter IED teams, Afghan National Police liaison teams, in Infantry Close Support roles, force protection duties or duties involving Air Transport Security, as well as general policing duties.

Specialist units

The Royal Air Force Police also has its own Special Investigation Branch
Special Investigation Branch
The Special Investigation Branch is the name given to the detective branches of all three British military police arms: the Royal Navy Police, Royal Military Police and Royal Air Force Police. It is most closely associated with the Royal Military Police, which has the largest SIB. SIB members...

 (SIB) for the investigation of serious crime. This is effectively the RAF's version of a civilian police Criminal Investigation Department
Criminal Investigation Department
The Crime Investigation Department is the branch of all Territorial police forces within the British Police and many other Commonwealth police forces, to which plain clothes detectives belong. It is thus distinct from the Uniformed Branch and the Special Branch.The Metropolitan Police Service CID,...

 who, like them, operate in plain clothes. This is known as the Specialist Police Wing (SPW), and is split into four geographical regions covering the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

. This section of the RAFP is also responsible for forensic investigation through the RAF's own Forensic Science Flight.

The RAFP also has a tactical
Military tactics
Military tactics, the science and art of organizing an army or an air force, are the techniques for using weapons or military units in combination for engaging and defeating an enemy in battle. Changes in philosophy and technology over time have been reflected in changes to military tactics. In...

, deployable squadron, known as the Tactical Provost Wing
Tactical Provost Wing
The Tactical Provost Wing is a group of around 150 regular and 50 reservist Royal Air Force Police with its headquarters at RAF Henlow in Bedfordshire, England...

 (TPW). Their major role is forward policing and 'line of communication policing' (LoCP) in conflict zones. TPW was heavily involved in Operation Telic
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...

, and are still heavily involved in operations in Afghanistan.

Some RAFP members are also trained in close protection (CP) and carry out CP duties wherever required, ensuring the safety of VIPs and other dignitaries in hostile territories.

The RAFP operates a large police dog
Police dog
A police dog, often referred to as a "K-9 dog" in some areas , is a dog that is trained specifically to assist police and other law-enforcement personnel in their work...

 section, with detachments at many RAF stations. These dogs are referred to as Air Dog followed by their name, (Air Dog Rex, for example). RAF Police dogs and their handlers currently support overseas operations in theaters such as Iraq & Afghanistan, in both patrol and specialist search roles. As well as their usual German Shepherd dogs, more commonly known as Alsatians, used for the 'attack' role, Labradors and Spaniels are well utilised for their expertise as 'sniffer' dogs for drugs and explosives.

Training

RAF Police are now trained at the Defence College of Policing and Guarding, at MOD Southwick Park
Southwick House
Southwick House is a manor house of the Southwick Estate located just to the north of Portsmouth in Hampshire, England. The house was built in 1800 in the late Georgian style, to replace Southwick Park house. The house is distinct for its two-story foyer lit from a cupola, and a series of...

, along with the Royal Navy Police and Royal Military Police
Royal Military Police
The Royal Military Police is the corps of the British Army responsible for the policing of service personnel, and for providing a military police presence both in the UK, and whilst service personnel are deployed overseas on operations and exercises.Members of the RMP are generally known as...

.

Training in the 1950s was at RAF Netheravon in Wiltshire, and in the 1960s at RAF Debden
RAF Debden
RAF Debden is a former RAF airfield in England. The field is located 3 miles SE of Saffron Walden and approximately 1 mile north of the village of Debden in North Essex.-RAF Fighter Command:...

 near Saffron Walden.
Until the mid-1990s, trade training took place at RAF Newton
RAF Newton
RAF Newton was a Royal Air Force station, 7 miles east of Nottingham, England. It was used briefly as a bomber base and then as a flying training school during World War II....

 in Nottinghamshire, training then moved to RAF Halton
RAF Halton
RAF Halton is one of the largest Royal Air Force stations in the United Kingdom, located near the village of Halton near Wendover, Buckinghamshire.HRH The Duchess of Cornwall is the Honorary Air Commodore of RAF Halton.-History:...

 in Buckinghamshire until the consolidation of all MoD policing training at Southwick Park in 2004.

Basic RAF Police training includes:
  • Police exams/assessments
  • Driving (on and off road)
  • Weapons Training (Browning Hi-Power 9mm)
  • Lines of Communication Police training
  • Air Transport Security
  • Baton and Handcuff Training
  • Nuclear, Biological and Chemical (NBC) warfare


Personnel are also required to maintain good physical fitness and this is tested every six months.

Royal Auxiliary Air Force (Police)

No 3 (Tactical) Police Squadron (TPS) is based at RAF Henlow
RAF Henlow
RAF Henlow is a Royal Air Force station in Bedfordshire, England, equidistant from Bedford, Luton and Stevenage. It houses the RAF Centre of Aviation Medicine, the RAF Signals Museum and 616 Volunteer Gliding Squadron.- History :...

 in Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....

 as an integral part of the Tactical Provost Wing
Tactical Provost Wing
The Tactical Provost Wing is a group of around 150 regular and 50 reservist Royal Air Force Police with its headquarters at RAF Henlow in Bedfordshire, England...

 (TPW).

3 (Royal Auxiliary Air Force) Police Squadron formed as a consequence of the assumptions made in the Strategic Defence Review, Presented to Parliament by the Secretary of State for Defence
Secretary of State for Defence
The Secretary of State for Defence, popularly known as the Defence Secretary, is the senior Government of the United Kingdom minister in charge of the Ministry of Defence, chairing the Defence Council. It is a Cabinet position...

 (then the Rt. Hon. George Robertson MP) by Command of Her Majesty in July 1998. Specifically, this recognised that deployed air operations are likely to take place at the end of a long supply chain or line of communication. Control of this line of communication is a task which falls to two of the service police organisations: Royal Air Force Police and the Royal Military Police
Royal Military Police
The Royal Military Police is the corps of the British Army responsible for the policing of service personnel, and for providing a military police presence both in the UK, and whilst service personnel are deployed overseas on operations and exercises.Members of the RMP are generally known as...

. To undertake this expanded task, the strength of the RAF Police was increased by a number of both regular personnel, and reservists. After a study, it was decided that the most effective way for the reservists to be formed, was as members of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force. These personnel would then be integrated with the existing Tactical Police and Security Squadron to form Tactical Police Wing. Recruiting for 3 (Royal Auxiliary Air Force) Police Squadron, began in earnest in October 2002.

TPW is an independent Unit based at RAF Henlow
RAF Henlow
RAF Henlow is a Royal Air Force station in Bedfordshire, England, equidistant from Bedford, Luton and Stevenage. It houses the RAF Centre of Aviation Medicine, the RAF Signals Museum and 616 Volunteer Gliding Squadron.- History :...

 in Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....

. The Wing has its roots in the Support Squadron of Headquarters, Royal Air Force Provost and Security Services. This was formed in 1968 to provide a force reserve for the Provost Marshal to deploy in support of operations, exercises and other contingencies. It was re-titled Tactical Police and Security Squadron in 1996 as part of an increased focus on support to deployed operations.

The primary focus for the Squadron, and latterly for TPW, has been Lines of Communication Policing and policing of deployed operations and exercises in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

and overseas. The Wing also covers the air transport fleet worldwide, through searches of passengers and cargo. As well as guarding aircraft and cargo, and the assessment of airfield security. In addition it continues to provide Royal Air Force Police personnel for military policing and security tasks, on both deployed operating bases, and in wider operational areas. There have been few Royal Air Force operations in the last 30 years which have not seen the deployment of RAF Police personnel, including RAuxAF Police since 2002.
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