Defence Police Federation

Last updated
Defence Police Federation
DPFlogo2011.jpg
Founded1971
Members2000
Key peopleEamon Keating (National Chairman)
Peter Clout (General Secretary)
Jim Gillen (National Vice-Chairman)
Office locationGround Floor, MoD Main Building, Horseguards Avenue, Whitehall SW1A 2HB
CountryUnited Kingdom
Website www.dpf.org.uk

The Defence Police Federation (DPF) is the representative body of Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) officers, up to and including the rank of Chief Superintendent. There are around 2,000 members as of 2014. Membership is restricted by law to serving officers. MDP officers have their own federation because they are also part of the Civil Service and are accountable to the Secretary of State for Defence, and not the Home Secretary. Moreover, MDP officers have different terms and conditions of service to civilian police officers. Officers' pay is directly linked to national settlements made by the Home Office and the Police Federation of England and Wales. [1] The DPF also administer the Defence Police Retired Officers Association. [2] With an 'all armed' membership, the DPF maintains close ties with the Police Firearms Officers Association (PFOA); as of 1 October 2014 all DPF members, have automatic membership of the PFOA.

Contents

History

Prior to 1971 each of the three armed services had its own constabulary, with its own Chief Constable. Each of those constabularies had its own staff association. To boost their bargaining power these three staff associations formed a Federal Council in 1953, but this arrangement was found to be unsatisfactory, and in 1971 the associations agreed to form a Defence Police Federation. [1]

The new federation believed that the Ministry of Defence's three police forces should be amalgamated into a single, unified force. It argued that amalgamation was the only way to realise the potential of the three forces and enhance their officers' professionalism. Even before the formation of the Defence Police Federation, the individual Defence constabularies' staff associations' had fought against the notion that their members should receive an abated rate of pay. In 1971 the MoD agreed to amalgamation, and the Ministry of Defence Police was formed. [1]

The next landmark in the history of the MDP was also, to an extent, the result of the federation's efforts. Ever since the establishment of the force in 1971, the federation had campaigned for an Act of Parliament to replace the maze of regulations, statutory provisions, and instructions on which the MDP's legal authority was based. The federation believed that such an act would enable MDP officers to discharge their duties more easily and enhance their credibility as police officers. [1] On 5 May 1987 the Ministry of Defence Police Act came into force. It solidified the force's constabulary powers across Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and gave full legal status to the federation, putting it on par with the representative bodies of other UK civilian police forces. [3]

Organisation

The DPF employs a hierarchical structure, starting with individual station branches, these form the foundation of the Federation. These branches are organised geographically into two national areas: Southern and Northern. Each has its own Area Secretary.

Routine management of the federation is overseen by the National Executive Committee (NEC), who meet quarterly. The NEC is composed of the three national officers—the Chairman, Vice Chairman and General Secretary—and six voting members elected at the National Conference from branch representatives.[ clarification needed ] The NEC and its sub-committees are responsible for negotiating, and consulting, with the Chief Constable MDP, senior officers of the MDP and directly with the Ministry of Defence. The federation also has access to the MoD Police Committee, with either the National Chairman or General Secretary attending as an observer.

The supreme authority of the federation is the annual DPF National Conference. This consists of all branch representatives coming together to consider policy and receive reports on the business conducted throughout the year. The conference may also debate resolutions about improving conditions of service and related matters, or revise the rules and constitution of the federation. [1]

Function

The Federation's constitution lists the organisation's main aims. These are: [1]

Like other British police officers, MDP officers do not have the right to strike, nor do they have recourse to an Employment Tribunal if they believe they were wrongly dismissed.

MDP Cuts

Police numbers were cut substantially by the government elected in the 2010 general election. [4] The DPF campaigned against cuts to the Ministry of Defence Police that substantially reduced the number of MDP officers and the force's budget. [5] The National Chairman stated to The Daily Telegraph that:

"Inevitably the loss of the experience of MDP officers would be to the public detriment and would be to the detriment of the security of the MoD, there's no doubt about that. Public security would be potentially reduced." [6]

See also

Related Research Articles

Admiralty Constabulary

The Admiralty Constabulary was a police force in the United Kingdom formed under the Special Constables Act 1923 which existed from 1949 to 1971.

The Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) in the United Kingdom can trace its origins back to 1686, and has gone through a number of evolutions over the centuries to achieve its present-day form. Until late 1965, the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force were controlled by separate departments: the Board of Admiralty, the Army Board and the Air Ministry respectively, each had its own Cabinet Minister. In that year it was decided that the three services should be placed under the control of one Minister of State for Defence, and the present Ministry of Defence was formed.

Ministry of Defence Police Civilian police force of the United Kingdoms Ministry of Defence

The Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) is a civilian special police force which is part of the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence. The MDP's primary responsibilities are to provide armed security and counter terrorism services to designated high-risk areas, as well as uniformed policing and limited investigative services to Ministry of Defence property, personnel, and installations throughout the United Kingdom. The MDP are not military police and should not be confused with the Royal Military Police or any other British Service Police.

The New Year Honours 1991 were appointments by Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by people of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth. They were published on 28 December 1990 for the United Kingdom, New Zealand and the Cook Islands, Mauritius, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize, Antigua and Barbuda, and Saint Christopher and Nevis.

The New Year Honours 1989 were appointments by most of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries, and honorary ones to citizens of other countries. They were announced on 31 December 1988 to celebrate the year passed and mark the beginning of 1989 in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Mauritius, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Saint Vincent and The Grenadines, Belize, Antigua and Barbuda, and Saint Christopher and Nevis.

Queen's Birthday Honours are announced on or around the date of the Queen's Official Birthday in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. The dates vary, both from year to year and from country to country. All are published in supplements to the London Gazette and many are conferred by the monarch some time after the date of the announcement, particularly for those service people on active duty.

The New Year Honours 1988 were appointments by most of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries, and honorary ones to citizens of other countries. They were announced on 31 December 1987 to celebrate the year passed and mark the beginning of 1988 in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Mauritius, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize, Antigua and Barbuda, and Gibraltar.

Queen's Birthday Honours are announced on or around the date of the Queen's Official Birthday in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. The dates vary, both from year to year and from country to country. All are published in supplements to the London Gazette and many are conferred by the monarch some time after the date of the announcement, particularly for those service people on active duty.

Queen's Birthday Honours are announced on or around the date of the Queen's Official Birthday in Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. The dates vary, both from year to year and from country to country. All are published in supplements to the London Gazette and many are formally conferred by the monarch some time after the date of the announcement, particularly for service people on active duty.

The New Year Honours 1984 were appointments by most of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries, and honorary ones to citizens of other countries. They were announced on 31 December 1983 to celebrate the year passed and mark the beginning of 1984 in the United Kingdom, New Zealand and the Cook Islands, Fiji, the Bahamas, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Antigua and Barbuda.

The New Year Honours 1954 were appointments in many of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. They were announced on 1 January 1954 to celebrate the year passed and mark the beginning of 1954.

The New Year Honours 1970 were appointments in many of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. They were announced in supplements to the London Gazette of 30 December 1969 to celebrate the year passed and mark the beginning of 1970.

The Queen's Birthday Honours 1952 were appointments in many of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. The appointments were made to celebrate the official birthday of The Queen, and were published in supplements the London Gazette on 30 May 1952 for the United Kingdom and Colonies, Australia, New Zealand, Ceylon, and Pakistan.

The Queen's Birthday Honours 1954 were appointments in many of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. The appointments were made to celebrate the official birthday of The Queen.

The King's Birthday Honours 1941 were appointments in the British Empire of King George VI to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of various countries. The appointments were made to celebrate the official birthday of The King, and were published on 6 June 1941.

The Queen's Birthday Honours 1978 were appointments by many of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. The appointments were made to celebrate the official birthday of The Queen. The announcement date varies, both from year to year and from country to country.

The King's Birthday Honours 1951 were appointments in many of the Commonwealth realms of King George VI to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. The appointments were made to celebrate the official birthday of the King, and were published on 1 June 1951 for the British Empire, Australia, New Zealand, Ceylon, and Pakistan. These were the last Birthday Honours awarded by George VI, who died eight months later.

The 1968 Queen's Birthday Honours were appointments to orders and decorations of the Commonwealth realms to reward and highlight citizens' good works, on the occasion of the official birthday of Queen Elizabeth II. They were announced in supplements to the London Gazette of 31 May 1968.

The 1970 Queen's Birthday Honours were appointments to orders and decorations of the Commonwealth realms to reward and highlight citizens' good works, on the occasion of the official birthday of Queen Elizabeth II. They were announced in supplements to the London Gazette of 5 June 1970.

The Police Superintendents’ Association is the sole representative body for police officers in the ranks of superintendent and chief superintendent in England and Wales. Its members are the senior operational leaders in policing in the 43 Home Office forces, British Transport Police, Civil Nuclear Constabulary, Isle of Man Constabulary, the Bermuda Police Service, Royal Gibraltar Police and the Gibraltar Defence Police. The association’s headquarters are in Pangbourne, Berkshire.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Defence Police Federation" . Retrieved 10 January 2015.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  2. ↑ "Defence Police Retired Officers Association" . Retrieved 10 January 2015.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  3. ↑ http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1987/4/contents
  4. ↑ Nigel Morris (20 October 2010). "Home Office: 20,000 police officers predicted to lose jobs". The Independent. Retrieved 12 September 2017.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  5. ↑ Ewen MacAskill (12 June 2014). "Cuts threaten Ministry of Defence police capability, leader warns". the Guardian. Retrieved 10 January 2015.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  6. ↑ "Security threat warning over MoD police cuts". Telegraph.co.uk. 15 January 2011. Retrieved 10 January 2015.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.