The Protection Command is one of the commands within the
Specialist Operations
The Specialist Operations directorate is a unit of the Metropolitan Police in London, England. It is responsible for providing specialist policing capabilities, including national security and counter-terrorism operations. As of May 2025, the Spe ...
directorate of
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
's
Metropolitan Police Service.
The command specialises in
protective security and has two branches: Royalty and Specialist Protection (RaSP), providing protection to the
royal family
A royal family is the immediate family of monarchs and sometimes their extended family.
The term imperial family appropriately describes the family of an emperor or empress, and the term papal family describes the family of a pope, while th ...
and
close protection to
government officials, and
Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection (PaDP), providing uniformed security to government buildings, officials and diplomats. In contrast with the vast majority of British police officers, many members of the Protection Command routinely carry firearms in the course of their duties and all are
authorised firearms officers.
Branches
In April 2015, the branches of Protection Command and elements of Security Command were merged into two distinct branches under the control of Protection Command: Royalty and Specialist Protection (RaSP; a merger of Royalty Protection and Specialist Protection) and Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection (PaDP; a merger of the Diplomatic Protection Group and the Palace of Westminster Division of Security Command).
Royalty and Specialist Protection
The Royalty and Specialist Protection (RaSP) was formed following a merger of the Royalty Protection Command (SO14) with the Specialist Protection Command (SO1) in April 2015.
The department has three service areas:
#
Close protection for members of the Royal Family, government ministers (which includes the
Prime Minister
A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
) and visiting heads of state.
# The
Special Escort Group (SEG) who provide mobile armed protection to members of the royal family and government ministers
#
Armed security at royal residences in London, Windsor and Scotland.
Prior to 1978, when the ''Royalty Protection Branch'' was formed as a separate non-divisional specialist unit, royalty protection officers were attached for administrative purposes to "A"
Division, although they fell within
"A" Department at New Scotland Yard.
Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection
Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection (PaDP) was formed following a merger of the Diplomatic Protection Group (SO6) with the
Palace of Westminster
The Palace of Westminster is the meeting place of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is located in London, England. It is commonly called the Houses of Parliament after the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two legislative ch ...
Division (SO17) in April 2015.
PaDP provide armed and unarmed protection of embassies, missions and the Parliamentary Estate. They also provide residential protection for high-profile government ministers and are responsible for access control and security at Downing Street and New Scotland Yard.
PaDP was the command in which Police Constable
Keith Palmer, who was killed in an
attack at Westminster in 2017, worked,
as did convicted kidnapper, murderer and rapist
Wayne Couzens who used his status as a Police Officer to deceive his victim
Sarah Everard by falsely arresting her.
See also
*
List of protective service agencies
*
Counter Terrorism Command
*
Territorial Support Group
*
United States Secret Service
The United States Secret Service (USSS or Secret Service) is a federal law enforcement agency under the Department of Homeland Security tasked with conducting criminal investigations and providing protection to American political leaders, thei ...
*
Fixated Threat Assessment Centre
*
Special Protection Group (India)
*
Federal Protective Service (United States)
*
Federal Protective Service (Russia)
References
External links
Official Webpage
{{Metropolitan Police
Metropolitan Police units
Protective security units