Command Structure
The MDP is currently part of the larger government agency, the Ministry of Defence Police and Guarding Agency (MDPGA), together with the Ministry of Defence Guard Service (MGS). The MDPGA was formed in 2004 through merging the two organisations, under a single administrative headquarters, as a Government Agency. Following the Strategic Defence and Security Review, the MDPGA is set to be disbanded in 2013, with the MDP returning to standalone status. Under these terms, the MGS is to move to the new Defence Infrastructure Organisation.
The MDP has its own Chief Constable and uses the standard British police rank structure. Since 1995, its headquarters has been located at the former United States Air Force base at Wethersfield, presently designated MDPGA Wethersfield. Force-wide command and control facilities are provided from the Central Control Room and Gold Command Suite. Wethersfield is also home to the Agency Training Centre, which is responsible for the initial training and development of all MDP Constables.
The MDP has two land-based functional divisions: (reduced from five Geographic Divisions as part of SDSR in April 2012)
- Nuclear Division
- Territorial Division
Each division is commanded by a Chief Superintendent and has its own support groups which are able to respond at short notice to any unforeseen incident or emergency. Each station is commanded by a Senior Police Officer who will vary in rank from Sergeant to Superintendent depending on the station's size, role and staffing.
Read more about this topic: Ministry Of Defence Police
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