Royal Marines Police

The Royal Marines Police, or Royal Marines Police Troop (RM Police Troop) is the Royal Marines element of the Royal Navy Police and the military police arm of the Royal Marines.[1]

This article is about the military police of the Royal Marines. For the Royal Marine Police, the civil police force formerly responsible for guarding Royal Navy bases, see Admiralty Constabulary.

Royal Marines Police
CountryUnited Kingdom United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
AllegianceHM The King
BranchRoyal Navy
TypeService Police
RolePolicing and Counter-intelligence
Insignia
Identification
symbol
Tri-service MP flash
United Kingdom
His Majesty's
Naval Service
of the British Armed Forces
Components
  • Special Forces
History and future
Ships
Personnel
Auxiliary services

Members of the RM Police enforce service law and discipline.


Structure

In 2009 the RM Police came under the operational command of the Royal Navy Police for policing and investigations; providing more investigatory independence from their non-service police chains of command.[2] although it still exists as a distinct unit under the operational control of 3 Commando Brigade.[3]

The overall head of the Royal Navy Police (including RM Police Troop) is the Provost Marshal - Navy. As of August 2022 this was held by Commander Andy Williams, himself an ex Royal Marine Commando and ex Royal Marines Police member.[4]

Duties and responsibilities

The RM Police is responsible for providing garrison policing services – law enforcement and crime prevention as well as general security advice to the command – and provide personnel to the Royal Navy Police Special Investigations Branch (RNP SIB) section for the investigation of serious crime.

RM Police personnel are recruited from within the trained strength of the Royal Marines, following completion of a first posting to a rifle troop in a Commando.

Units

The primary formed unit of the Royal Marines Police is a troop (similar to a platoon in the Army) within 30 Commando Information Exploitation Group, the information exploitation unit of 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines, based at Stonehouse Barracks, Plymouth.[5]

For example, in 2008 the RM Police Troop consisted of the following:

  • Captain (Officer Commanding) (x1)
  • Warrant Officer Class 2 (x1)
  • Colour Sergeant (x2)
  • Sergeant (x3)
  • Corporal (x9)
  • Lance Corporal (x21)
  • Civilian (attached) (x1).[6]

Operations

In military operations, the Royal Marines Police Troop provide military police support for all phases of operations and peacekeeping operations including co-ordinating vehicle movements out of the beachhead, marking the main supply routes and providing convoy escorts.

It also conducts general police duties and provides close protection for the Brigade Commander. Personnel are eligible to undertake the close protection courses run by the Royal Military Police. Royal Marines Police personnel are also attached to other units.

For example, RM Police Troop marines were present at the Edinburgh Military Tattoo in 2017, assisting other Service Police and civilian police.[7]

Powers and authority

Marines and Warrant Officers of the Royal Marines Police are not constables and have no powers in relation to civil law enforcement. However, they are Service Police persons and do have authority under the Armed Forces Act 2006.[8]

Equipment

For general policing duties (GPD) in the United Kingdom, very similar equipment is carried to civilian police forces, such as:

  • Black stab vest
  • Black (or high visibility yellow) equipment 'tac' vest
  • Airwave radio
  • Expandable baton
  • Rigid handcuffs (speedcuffs)
  • Torch
  • Gloves.[9]

This is worn with the MTP No. 3B or No. 3D uniform. Normal green Commando beret is also worn. The tri-service 'black-on-red' patch is worn on the jacket/smock sleeve.

RM Police Troop, in the UK, do not generally carry TASER, incapacitant spray, or firearms.

The Royal Navy Police now have their personnel wearing body warn video cameras (BWVC).

See also

Notes
  1. Commons, The Committee Office, House of. "House of Commons - Armed Forces - Written Evidence". www.publications.parliament.uk. Retrieved 7 May 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. "Memorandum from the Ministry of Defence". parliament.uk. March 2006. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
  3. 30 Commando RM Archived June 29, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  4. rba93, website. "Commander Andy Williams Royal Navy - Sponsor". rba93.com. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  5. Navy, Royal. "30 Commando". royalnavy.mod.uk. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
  6. UK, GOV. "Information on the Royal Marine Police Troop" (PDF). assets.publishing.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
  7. RFCA, Lowland. "243 PROVOST COMPANY RESERVISTS POLICE THE EDINBURGH TATTOO". lowlandrfca.org.uk. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  8. "The spies stalking British justice". The Bureau of Investigative Journalism (en-GB). Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  9. Facebook, .com. "1 Military Police Brigade". facebook.com. Retrieved 18 May 2023. {{cite web}}: |last1= has generic name (help)


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