The Defence School of Policing, Security and Guarding is the training centre for the Service Police of the

British Armed Forces The British Armed Forces are the unified military, military forces responsible for the defence of the United Kingdom, its British Overseas Territories, Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies. They also promote the UK's wider interests ...

including the

Ministry of Defence A ministry of defence or defense (see American and British English spelling differences#-ce.2C -se, spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and Mi ...

. It consolidates training for the

Royal Navy Police The Royal Navy Police (RNP) is the service police branch of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines. Members of the RNP enforce service law and discipline. The Royal Navy Police was known as the Royal Navy Regulating Branch until 2007, when the servi ...

Royal Military Police The Royal Military Police (RMP) is the corps of the British Army responsible for the policing of army service personnel, and for providing a military police presence both in the UK and while service personnel are deployed overseas on operations ...

and

Royal Air Force Police The Royal Air Force Police (RAFP) is the service police branch of the Royal Air Force, headed by the provost marshal of the Royal Air Force. Its headquarters are at RAF Honington, and it deploys throughout the world to support RAF and UK def ...

and the

Ministry of Defence Police The Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) is a civilian special police force#United Kingdom, special police force which is part of the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom), Ministry of Defence. The MDP's primary responsibilities are ...

in one location, assuring consistent standards across the services. The centre was established at

Southwick Park Southwick Priory or Our Lady at Southwick () was a priory of Augustinian canons founded in Portchester Castle on Portsmouth Harbour and later transferred north to Southwick, Hampshire, England. It ceased at the Dissolution of the Monasterie ...

, near

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...

, Hampshire, in 2005.

History

The Defence College of Policing and Guarding was opened in 2005 at

Southwick House Southwick House is a Grade II listed 19th-century manor house of the Southwick Estate in Hampshire, England, about north of Portsmouth. It is home to the Defence School of Policing and Guarding and related military police capabilities. Histor ...

, the former site of . The regimental headquarters of the Royal Military Police moved to the site following withdrawal from

Roussillon Barracks Roussillon Barracks was a military installation in Chichester. History The barracks were originally established as part of the British response to the threat of the French Revolution in tented accommodation in 1795 and were enhanced by the use ...

Chichester Chichester ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parish in the Chichester District, Chichester district of West Sussex, England.OS Explorer map 120: Chichester, South Harting and Selsey Scale: 1:25 000. Publisher ...

. RAF Police training moved from

RAF Halton Royal Air Force Halton, or more simply RAF Halton, is one of the largest Royal Air Force stations in the United Kingdom. It is located near the village of Halton near Wendover, Buckinghamshire. The site has been in use since the First World ...

in 2005. Royal Navy Police training moved from in November 2005. Sometime prior to 2015, the name of the establishment changed to replace "College" with "School".

Military police training

The facilities allow training in most aspects of policing, including Crime Scene Investigation.

Royal Military Police

Soldiers entering the Royal Military Police are posted to the school having completed Phase 1 training at the Army Training Centre Pirbright. Successful completion results in promotion to

lance corporal Lance corporal is a military rank, used by many English-speaking armed forces worldwide, and also by some police forces and other uniformed organisations. It is below the rank of corporal. Etymology The presumed origin of the rank of lance corp ...

and posting to an operational unit as a probationer. Officers for the Royal Military Police undertake training on completion of commissioning courses at

Royal Military Academy Sandhurst The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS or RMA Sandhurst), commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is one of several military academy, military academies of the United Kingdom and is the British Army's initial Commissioned officer, officer train ...

Royal Air Force Police

Aviators (previously known as Airmen and Airwomen) are posted to the School having completed Phase 1 training at

. Successful completion results in the individual being promoted to

Corporal Corporal is a military rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The rank is usually the lowest ranking non-commissioned officer. In some militaries, the rank of corporal nominally corr ...

and being posted to an operational unit. Officers of the Royal Air Force Police undertake training on completion of commissioning at

Royal Air Force College Cranwell The Royal Air Force College (RAFC) is the Royal Air Force academy which provides initial training to all RAF personnel who are preparing to become commissioned officers. The College also provides initial training to aircrew cadets and is resp ...

Royal Navy Police

Royal Marines candidates are not recruited directly but are transferred from other branches where they have qualified for promotion to corporal or leading hand before being posted to the school, having completed a 4-week suitability assessment. Some Royal Navy candidates are now recruited directly. On completion of training they will be promoted to the rank and posted to an operational unit. Officers for the Royal Navy Police are drawn from the rating corps as senior upper yardmen and are commissioned following training at

Britannia Royal Naval College Britannia Royal Naval College Dartmouth, also known as Dartmouth, is the naval academy of the United Kingdom and the initial officer training establishment of the Royal Navy. It is located on a hill overlooking the port of Dartmouth, Devon, En ...

Commando Training Centre Royal Marines Commando Training Centre Royal Marines (CTCRM) is the principal military training centre for the Royal Marines. It is situated near the villages of Lympstone and Exton, between the city of Exeter, and the town of Exmouth in Devon, England. Hi ...

Ministry of Defence Police

All new recruits are required to successfully qualify as an Authorised Firearms Officer (AFO) as part of their initial training. MDP officers are trained to National Police Standards and must maintain their firearms qualifications by completing refresher training on an annual basis. Officers spend the first 12 weeks of training at the Defence School of Policing and Security (DSPS), Southwick Park, Hampshire and then 8 weeks carrying out firearms training at one of the regional hubs, with sessions split between the classroom, tactical training area and firearms ranges.

References

External links

Roles: Royal Military Police Officer
at army.mod.uk
Roles: Royal Military Police Soldier
{{coord, 50, 52, 29, N, 1, 06, 05, W, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title Adjutant General's Corps City of Winchester Military education and training in Hampshire Military police academies Military police of the United Kingdom Military training establishments of the United Kingdom Organisations based in Hampshire Police training colleges in the United Kingdom 2005 establishments in England