Royal Military Police - Organisation

Organisation

The RMP is headed by the Provost Marshal, now a Brigadier. Every formation has a Deputy Provost Marshal (DPM), or Assistant Provost Marshal (APM). As well as being responsible for the Military Provost Staff Corps, the Provost Marshal (A) is also responsible for the Military Provost Guard Service, who provides a guard force of armed soldiers for military establishments and units of all three services.

The RMP is divided into units called Provost Companies, subdivided into platoons, and sometimes grouped into regiments. Platoons are commanded by a Second Lieutenant, or Lieutenant with a Staff Sergeant as the Platoons Second-in-Command (2ic). They are further divided into sections under the command of Sergeants. All non-commissioned RMP personnel are promoted to Lance Corporal as soon as they complete training in order to give them authority over other soldiers. Commissioned officers were once attached from other branches of the army, but can now be commissioned directly into the RMP.

The RMP is divided into three branches. Most personnel belong to the General Police Duties Branch, which performs uniformed policing and security duties. The Special Investigation Branch is dedicated to investigating more serious crime. The Close Protection Unit provides bodyguards for senior military officers and other key personnel (nominated by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office) in danger zones. The RMP also trains military personnel in defensive driving techniques. There is also a Covert Operations Team that conducts surveillance operations in accordance with the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) and Test Purchase operations.

The RMP sometimes shares its police stations with other police forces. At Catterick Garrison, the RMP station is shared with North Yorkshire Police (who man it during daylight hours). Another police station in Wiltshire is shared with the Ministry of Defence Police and Wiltshire Constabulary however, the majority off all investigations are dealt with by the RMP.

The HQ of the RMP is located at Trenchard lines in Upavon, Wiltshire. The regimental headquarters of the RMP moved to MOD Southwick Park, near Portsmouth in February 2007. It is co-located with the tri-service Defence College of Policing and Guarding. The RMP training centre moved there on 27 September 2005 from the RMP's long-standing RHQ at Roussillon Barracks in Chichester, West Sussex. The Service Police Crime Bureau is also located at MOD Southwick Park and is staffed by personnel from the Royal Military Police, Royal Air Force Police and Royal Navy Police.

The RMP museum has also moved to MOD Southwick Park.