It might help if Service Police were actually recognised by the Home Office as Police.
And therein lies the problem..It might help if Service Police were actually recognised by the Home Office as Police.
The interesting bit will be who is appointed. In theory, noone with military connections, but in practice?
I followed it to the letter back in the day, mind you, in 1986 I was one of the first squads at RMPTC to be trained in the new procedures.Will the Service Police start obeying PACE?
I followed it to the letter back in the day, mind you, in 1986 I was one of the first squads at RMPTC to be trained in the new procedures.
Some of the best RMP I have known were reserves. Some of them were actual, real coppers in their day jobs, so they knew how to do Police stuff.And therein lies the problem..
As @wetsmonkey said, SPCOP have been in place for a very long time. They mirror PACE almost word for word. The procedural bits slightly change, that’s it.I followed it to the letter back in the day, mind you, in 1986 I was one of the first squads at RMPTC to be trained in the new procedures.
In the last 10 years or so, that is true. Why the heck you would shuck one skin oft for another is beyond me, but these people bring a lot of experience to the RMP.Some of the best RMP I have known were reserves. Some of them were actual, real coppers in their day jobs, so they knew how to do Police stuff.
I’d argue we still do. Garrison policing was always the way to maintain currency to police on ops, rather than an end in itself.In the last 10 years or so, that is true. Why the heck you would shuck one skin oft for another is beyond me, but these people bring a lot of experience to the RMP.
One of the issues highlighted in the OP is the skill fade in specialist investigations. With the demise in BFG, SIB have nowhere to go, professionally.
RMP are an organisation seeking a purpose. And they don’t have a policing purpose.
I just wonder if they'll be referred to as "Monkey Kings?"
Gorilla squad.
I know all about SPCOP, we did use them in the olden days.As @wetsmonkey said, SPCOP have been in place for a very long time. They mirror PACE almost word for word. The procedural bits slightly change, that’s it.
Better late than never, IMO. For the main topic, that is. Won‘t help those who still seek justice for cases closed (unless I missed that bit).
This is just a layer added to prolong the life of the Service Police.