Military police
From Open Encyclopedia
Military police (MPs) are the police of a military organization, with the mission of combat support, law enforcement and security.
In wartime, military police are primarily concerned with installation security, close personal protection of senior military officers, management of prisoners of war, traffic control, route signing and resupply route management, as well as their primary policing roles. These personnel are generally not front-line combatants, but are sometimes used in a defensive role as a primary defense force in rear area operations.
In some countries, a military police force, the Gendarmerie, Carabinieri, Guardia Civil (Spain) or Marechaussee, also serves as a national police force, often acting as heavy backup for the civil police and/or policing rural districts. For these duties, such forces are under civilian control and function in the same manner as civilian police forces.
The head of the military police is commonly referred to as the Provost Marshal. This ancient title was originally given to an officer whose duty it was to ensure that the army of the king did no harm to the citizenry.
In many countries, military forces have separate prisons and judicial systems, different from civilian entities. The military possibly also has its own interpretation of criminal justice.
The status of military police is usually prominently displayed on the helmet and/or on an armband, brassard, or arm or shoulder flash. In the Second World War, the military police of the German Army still used a metal gorget as an emblem.
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Military police in different countries
Australia
In the Australian Army, the Royal Australian Corps of Military Police also perform the role of a secondary communications network in the front battle zone.
Belgium
Military police duties in Belgium were previously performed by the Gendarmerie Nationale. When Belgium merged all its police into the Federal Police, those personnel performing military police duties became the Military Police Corps and made part of the army.
Brazil
The Military Police is the name of the State Police and are the standard law and order street police in Brazil, and are employed at a state level. Each of the armed forces also has its own military police force.
Canada
Canadian Armed Forces military police functions are currently carried out by the Military Police Branch. Previous to the creation of the CAF in 1968 they were performed by separate service branches: the Canadian Provost Corps and the Royal Canadian Air Force Police.
Finland
The Sotilaspoliisi (Sotilas = soldier | poliisi = police) act as the military police in the Finnish Defence Forces. Their peacetime tasks include guarding and policing military locations. Wartime tasks include guarding key locations and personnel, search & destroy of enemy special forces and handling of the POW's. Lovingly nicknamed "Koirat" (The Dogs) by the majority of the FDF. Their emblem is a black shoulder-cloth with 'SP' written in white.
France
The Gendarmerie act as both the military police and one of the two national police forces.
Germany
The Feldjäger are the military police of the German Bundeswehr. The term Feldjäger (literally meaning "field rifleman") has a long tradition and dates back to the mid-17th century. They perform various police functions within the German Army, and are especially notorious for hunting down deserting conscripts. Their motto is Suum Cuique ("To each his own", derived from Cicero, De Finibus, Bonorum et Malorum, liber V, 67: "(...) ut fortitudo in laboribus periculisque cernatur, (...), iustitia in suo cuique tribuendo.").
Israel
- Main article: Israeli Military Police
Heyl HaMishtara HaTzva'it (lit. Military police force) is the Israel Defense Forces military police, which is responsible for enforcing discipline in the IDF, finding and arresting deserters, etc. It also helps monitor prisons, both containing Israeli soldiers, and Palestinian political prisoners.
Italy
The Carabinieri act as both the military police and one of the two national police forces.
Japan
- The Kempeitai were the military police of the Imperial Japanese Army in World War II.
- the Tokeitai were the military police of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War Two.
They also performed intelligence and secret police functions.
The Netherlands
In The Netherlands, the function of military police is performed by the Koninklijke Marechaussee [1], a separate branch of the military independent of the army, navy and air force. Besides performing military duties, the Royal Marechaussee also perform civilian duties, such as assisting civilian police forces.
The word Marechaussee seems to derive from the old French name Marecheaux given to an ancient court of justice in Paris called the "Tribunal of Constables and Marshals of France". These constables and marshals were to become members of the Gendarmerie which served as a model for the police forces of both Belgium and the Netherlands. The term Marechaussee was also used for the US Army's military police during the American Revolution.
Singapore
In Singapore, the Singapore Armed Forces Provost Unit serves as the military police unit of the Singapore Armed Forces, and supports the Singapore Police Force by way of collaborations, such as in the co-location of dog-training facilities for policing duties.
Norway
In Norway, MPs are service members of the Norwegian Army, Royal Norwegian Navy or Royal Norwegian Air Force. Since approx 2002, all are trained at Sessvollmoen Camp. MPs in the Army are assigned to the Military Police Battalion, located at Bardufoss, Troms county. The current battalion commander is Lt. Colonel Vidar Gade. The battalion consists of approximately 50 officers and NCOs, and 150 privates/corporals. Norwegian MPs first go through a 6 month selection/educational period, before beeing assigned to the battalion or to regimental duties with other units for the remainder of their 12 month service. Norwegian MPs do not have authority over civilians, except on military installations or under martial law. They do have authority over military personnel anywhere, including when such personnel are off duty.
The Norwegian Home Guard (Heimevernet) also has MPs in its ranks. Usually each NHG District (regiment) has one or two platoons, consisting exclusively of former Army, Navy or Air Force MP personnel.
Norwegian MPs wear a red beret and a red lanyard around the left shoulder extending to the left front pocket. Only personnel currently serving as MPs are allowed to wear this. When on official duty, they also wear the MP armband, which is black with "MP" in red types. It was previously worn on the right shoulder, but is now worn on the left shoulder, following NATO practice. They can also wear white webbing, or a number of items for special duties, like high visibility vests for traffic duty etc.
Norwegian MPs are tasked with duties such as traffic control, POW detention and control, criminal investigations within the military, and installation security. Army canine units are also assigned to the MP battalion, but the personnel in such units are not necessarily MPs. Such personnel do not hold military police authority, and do not wear the MP insignia.
United Kingdom
- British Army - In the United Kingdom, MPs (often known as "Redcaps", or more casually, "Meatheads" - both because of the color of their headgear and in the case of the latter appellation, because it is satisfyingly rude) are members of the British Army's Royal Military Police (RMP).
- The Regimental Police serve as Military Police within their units or where there is no MP presence.
- Royal Air Force - The Royal Air Force Police (RAFP) provide a two-pronged service to the Royal Air Force; firstly they maintain and advise upon the security policies used by the RAF. Secondly, they are responsible for providing its police cover.
- Royal Navy - The Royal Navy is policed by the Royal Navy Regulating Branch, the members of which are known as Regulators (or Master-at-Arms if a Chief Petty Officer or Warrant Officer). The Royal Marines also have a Police Troop, the Royal Marines Police.
All UK Military Police are classed as 'Service Police' and conform to the Service Police Codes of Practice.
United States of America
- Main article: Military Police Corps
In the United States Armed Forces,
- MPs are service members of the US Army and US Marine Corps;
- US Navy and US Coast Guard use the term Shore Patrol and Master at arms.
- The US Air Force uses the term Security Forces, or SPs to describe the Air Force Security Forces.
- DOD Civilian Police - Each service also maintains uniformed civilian police officers. They are referred to as either DOD Force Protection (formerly known as Pentagon Police), DOD (Department of Defense) Police, DOD (Department of Defense) Guard, DA (Department of the Army) Police or DA Guard. The police officers' peacetime duties are the same as those of civilian police, namely to enforce the laws of the U.S. Military in the form of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), and the regulations of their particular installation. The civilian guards' duties are normally restricted to protection of priority resources.
See also
fr:Police militaire ja:憲兵 no:Militærpoliti pt:Polícia Militar fi:Sotilaspoliisi
