Regimental Police

Regimental Police (RPs) are soldiers responsible for regimental discipline enforcement and unit custody in the British Army, some other Commonwealth armies and some armed forces structured in the British tradition. They belong to the regiment or corps which they police instead of to the Royal Military Police or its equivalent.

United Kingdom

Most battalions and regiments have an RP section, usually headed by the Regimental Provost Sergeant, who operates under the authority of the Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM). They are normally responsible for the maintenance of good order and military discipline, with more serious offences being passed to the specialists of the Royal Military Police.

Members of a regiment's Provost Section can be identified by the brassards they wear, which carry the letters "RP". Unlike Military Police, RPs carry no warrant card; however, they do have the power to arrest soldiers of the same or lesser rank under the Army Act 1955.

ingapore

The roles of the RPs in the Singapore Armed Forces are similar, in that they too enforce discipline and are responsible for the security of the camp or base that they work in. Almost all RPs are Full-time National Servicemen. The RPs in Singapore are split into two different groups.

Army Regimental Policemen usually work office-hours (8am-5pm). During the night, Army RPs generally leave the protection of the camp to the guard duty personnel, although a Duty RP or two stay with them to supervise them. Depending on the soldier's medical condition, an Army RP may be allowed to guard the gate with rifle and ammunition, or with just a baton and shield. Army RP training takes two weeks, and takes place in 2 PDF Training Centre.

Air Force RPs are called Field Defence Troopers, and are organized at the squadron level. In contrast to Army Regimental Policemen, Field Defence Squadron (FDS) troopers have much higher appointments and responsibilities. Trainees undertake the three-month Field Defence Course (FDC), which includes rigorous physical and mental training, as well as teaching advanced security and fighting techniques. They are trained in small arms, less-lethal weaponry and crew-served weapons. In the final theory exam in FDC, trainees must pass the Military Security Knowledge Exam (MSKE) in order to pass out. FD Squadrons are organized at the battalion level during wartime, and normally field reinforced company-sized units.

In both cases, military installations with higher security requirements are normally assisted by Military Policemen seconded from the Singapore Armed Forces Military Police Command, who have greater powers of arrest and detention. These MPs operate in a manner dependent on the local base security, carrying out normal duties within the unit according to their rank, or deployed solely to perform access control into the base at key entry points.

Belgium

Most units at battalion level have a small Regimental Police detachment. In the Belgian forces, duties tend to be limited to providing access control and ensuring general base security during normal working hours, with special security teams taking over out of hours. Belgian Regimental Police belong to the unit they police and wear a black brassard bearing the red letters 'RP' on the left upper arm together with a white webbing belt.