Royalty and diplomatic protection department

Royalty Protection is divided into two parts: the Royal Palaces Division, dates back to 1839 and is responsible, for policing the royal residences of Buckingham Palace, Kensington Palace, St James’s Palace and Windsor Castle. In Scotland the section is responsible during periods of royal residence, for Balmoral Castle and Holyrood House. The other part of Royalty Protection is responsible for the personal protection of individual members of the Royal family.

The Diplomatic Protection Group is primarily responsible for the protection of Diplomatic premises and personnel, as well as visiting Heads of State and high risk V.I.P.s[5] when they are staying at hotels or other premises. The Group also has responsibility for providing protection to certain political figures; the security at 10 Downing Street, and a support to the protection of London’s Royal Palaces, and the Palace of Westminster which includes both Houses of Parliament.

The Group maintains effective 24-hour protection for high risk and politically sensitive premises by both static policing, at fixed posts and mobile policing using cars, solo motorcycles and personnel carri­ers.

All officers serving with the Group are volunteers recruited from the ranks of police officers who have some years of operational street duty experience.

Today protection is a highly specialised service in the Metropoli­tan Police, and to operate effectively, close liaison is maintained with other groups in the protection field such as the Special Branch, the Special Escort Group and the Anti-Terrorist Branch.

The senior officer in charge of the Royalty and Diplomatic Pro­tection Department is a Deputy Assistant Commissioner who over­sees the close liaison between units concerned with protection. The Department is the foremost uniformed Anti-Terrorist group within the Metropolitan Police.

SPECIAL ESCORT GROUP

The Special Escort Group of the Metropolitan Police was first formed in November 1952 in preparation for the visit of Marshal Tito, President of Yugoslavia in March 1953. The Group was again used to escort Her Majesty the Queen during her Coronation in June of the same year.

In March 1956, the Group was reformed for the visit of the Soviet Leaders and has been used regularly since then to provide protocol and security escorts for visiting Heads of State and other ceremonial events. Since then the responsibilities of the Group have been ex­panded to include escorting members of the Royal Family and all aspects of security movements, for example the escorting of high- risk prisoners and high value loads, although this type of escort is usually carried out in motor cars.

The Special Escort group is made up of officers selected from the ranks of London’s Traffic Patrol. The members of the Group are all required to be advanced motor-cyclists and car drivers, having at­tended courses of instruction at the world famous Hendon Police Driving School. They are also trained in the use offirearms and anti­terrorist ambush techniques.

After many years of success in this role, the Special Escort Group became so well known that it was receiving requests from the public for displays of its skill. The idea of the Precision Team, composed of members of the SEG, was developed and came to fruition in 1959.

Since its formation, the Metropolitan Police Motor Cycle Preci­sion Team has been seen by countless numbers of visitors to outdoor shows, ranging from school fetes to county and international shows. The machines used are BMW K100 cc solo motor cycles. Each of­ficer is responsible for the appearance of his machine, which is equipped for normal Traffic Patrol and escort duties and fitted with road tyres.

The display is not one of trick-riding but is a disciplined team ef­fort, an essential requirement of escort duties. The object of such demonstration is to emphasise the control a motor cyclist should be able to exercise over his machine, and the manner in which a powerful motor cycle can be ridden at varying speeds in a confined area. From the beginning, a balance has been struck between entertaining the public and providing a demonstration of the skill required to carry out Ceremonial Escorts. With this in mind, the Group has developed a programme aimed at the motor cycling public, in the hope of influencing them to become better riders.

The Group’s role in providing escorts for Royalty and VIP visitors to this country, demands the same extremely high degree of skill in motorcycle control, bearing in mind the traffic congestion often found in and around London. Their primary aim is to provide a smooth, punctual and, above all, safe journey.

DOG SECTION

In 1946 the Metropolitan Police decided to look seriously at the possibility of using dogs for police work. By the end of that year there were six Labradors on the strength of the Service. These dogs and their handlers were given a thorough training course and then they were sent to work in Central London. They proved highly successful, especially in such areas as Hyde Park, and as a result it was decided to use dogs throughout the Metropolitan Police District. Today there are over 300 operational dogs working in London.

The most popular dog for police work is the German Shepherd, commonly known as the Alsatian. Labradors and Spaniels are also used and are particularly effective in the field of narcotics and explo­sives detection.

Since 1960 the Metropolitan Police has been breeding many of its own dogs. During whelping the bitches and their puppies are cared for in the modem breeding block at the Dog Training Establishment at Keston in Kent.

Some of the adult dogs are either gifts or bought from the public. The main qualities required of a police dog are that it should be of a fine physique and good temperament. These dogs are originally kept at Keston for a period of one to three weeks to assess their health and working capabilities.

When a puppy is two months old it is allocated to a handler and goes to live at his or her home. This stage is very important as trust and affection form the basis of a good working relationship. The puppy returns with its handler to the training establishment every month for a check up. When the puppy is nine months old it returns to Keston for a week’s training in basic obedience and nosework.

When the dog is a year old it spends twelve to fourteen weeks in training. It is taught to track a ground scent, to search different types of terrain such as open country, woodland and buildings for criminals and property and to give tongue, or ‘speak’, as soon as it finds what it has been seeking. It is also taught to chase and hold criminals, but it is trained not to bite them indiscriminately.

After this initial course a dog starts work on Division, but with its handler it is required to attend frequent refresher courses at one of the five continuation training centres.

Dog handlers work the same shift system as other officers in the Uniform Branch. They are on patrol for seven hours and the remain­ing hour is allowed for feeding, grooming and exercising the animal.

The real value of a dog is as a deterrent and to detect crime. But of course the type of beat that they patrol varies according to the district in which they serve.

With the introduction of personal radio and their specially equipped vans, dog handlers have become increasingly mobile, which has added to their operational efficiency. In addition to searching, chasing and tracking, dogs are also used for recovering stolen property which has been abandoned and for finding missing persons.

9. POLICING FROM THE AIR

Helicopters are part of the Air Support Unit of the Metropolitan Police. The Unit is based at Lippitts Hill in open country near Epping Forest and the facilities there include a hangar, a control room over­looking the landing pad, workshops, service bays and stores.

From this base, the helicopters, with a maximum speed of 150 knots (173 mph), can be over anywhere in the Metropolitan Police Area within 15 minutes’ flying time.

The basic flying pattern for the helicopter is to carry out a fixed number of routine patrols (about 1 ¹/₂ hrs), Monday to Friday. During the evening, after rush-hour and at weekends the helicopters are available on an ‘as required’ basis. In an emergency, a helicopter can be in the air at very short notice - any time of the day or night.

The list of police operations in which the helicopters may be called upon for help is endless. Crowd control, traffic control, searching and pursuing and any situation in which observation from the air is of special value are all part of the helicopters’ workload.

A typical day’s operations recently included going to the scene of an armed robbery in South London, observing the build-up of a traffic jam on a main road into North London and a search for a stolen lorry in an area of parkland, golf course and market gardens. In a typical month, the Air Support Unit will take part in 450 assignments of all kinds.

The Metropolitan Police helicopters of the Air Support Unit are observation and communication platforms in the sky and their equipment for these jobs must be the best available.

Each helicopter can be quickly fitted with the “Heli-Tele” air-to-ground colour television system. With this, colour TV film of anything happening on the ground can be relayed back to Scotland Yard (via a mobile receiver station if necessary) and the film taken can be recorded for later viewing. In addition, the Bell 222s carry ‘Night Sun’ a powerful searchlight which can be steered down and focused from the helicopter cabin and ‘Sky Short’ a 200 watt output public address system. A British Aerospace ‘Steady Scope’ monocular (a type of binoculars) is also carried.

Radio Communications between air and ground cover all Metropolitan Police Channels, Air Traffic Control at Battersea and Heathrow and all UK aeronautical channels.

The helicopter pilots are civilians from Bristow Helicopters. The observers (there are normally two in each aircraft) are experienced Metropolitan Police officers who have been specially trained for this job.

The Metropolitan Police helicopters must observe strict rules operating over the densely populated London area. They normally fly atheights of between 800 and 1500 feet, but when they are in the neigh­bourhood of Heathrow, their maximum height may be much lower. Generally speaking they only fly outside the Metropolitan Police area when in “hot pursuit” of a suspect vehicle and, in one case, they pursued such a vehicle up the M1 as far north as Daventry before police on the ground could move in and stop the driver.

MOUNTED BRANCH

The origins of the Mounted Branch go back well before the foun­dation of the Metropolitan Police. In 1758 there was the first mention of men on horses being employed as peace officers in London - they were attached to Sir John Fielding’s office in Bow Street, where he was a Magistrate.

Then, in 1760, Sir John devised a ‘Plan for preventing Robberies within twenty miles of London’ and asked for a regiment of light horse to be stationed in the area, to keep watch at toll-gates and turnpikes, and to intercept criminals. This ‘Horse Patrol’ consisted of eight horses and men.

The regular Bow Street Horse Patrol began in 1805 and it pro­vided patrols on all main roads up to twenty miles from Charing Cross. Its original strength was 52 ex-calvalrymen, all aged over 35 and married. Each man carried a sabre, pistol, truncheon and a pair of handcuffs and wore a blue greatcoat and trousers, black leather hat and stock, white leather gloves and scarlet waistcoat –

the latter giv­ing rise to their nickname of ‘Redbreasts’. This was the first ‘uni­form’ ever to be issued to any police force.

In 1813 the control of the Bow Street Horse Patrol passed to the Home Secretary and in 1821 their numbers were increased. Then, in 1829, the first foot duty officers of the Metropolitan Police appeared on the streets, but it was not until 1836 that the Horse Patrol was incorporated into the Force, becoming the nucleus of the present day Mounted Branch.

In those days the chief purpose of the Branch was country pa­trols, but with the advent of Chartism in the late 1830s mounted police were mobilised in central London for the first time to keep public order. They proved most successful and as a result it was decided to have more mounted officers stationed in inner London to deal with such troubles and to help regulate processions, ceremonial occasions and large gatherings. This, of course, remains the principal function of the Mounted Branch today.

After the end of the First World War in 1918. Lt-Col Percy Laurie of the Royal Scots Greys retired from the Army and took up an appointment with the Metropolitan Police, later becoming Assistant Commissioner. He took complete charge of the Mounted Branch and made its reorganisation his first task.

In 1920 Imber Court, at East Molesey in Surrey, was opened as the central Mounted Branch Training Establishment. The principles of training, feeding and general care of the horses laid down then still hold good to a large degree today.

The Mounted Branch has some 200 horses and 236 officers. It is under the control of the Assistant Commissioner for Territorial Op­erations with a Superintendent as its operational head. The organisa­tion of the Branch is governed by the need for mounted patrols in the Metropolitan Police District in particular areas - which is frequently reviewed in the light of changing circumstances.

As with any other specialist Branches, an officer must complete two years foot duty before applying for a post in Mounted Branch. This is to ensure that he or she is well grounded in general police work. The majority of recruits to the Branch have no previous expe­rience of working with horses, but after a preliminary interview each applicant receives a 22 week course at Imber Court, and is taught how to ride and the general care of a horse and its equipment.

At the end of this course officers are posted to one of the larger stables as ‘Mounted Reserve’. This means that they do not at first have a horse, but gain further experience riding other horses when officers are on leave or sick. This period usually lasts for about 6 months, at the end of which the officers are permanently established.

Most of the horses are bought in Yorkshire where the require­ments are well known to the farmers and breeders, but occasionally they are purchased elsewhere or a gift horse is received. Only mares or geldings are used, and, ideally, they should be 3 to 4 years old, 16 hands high and of a good general colour.

Each horse is named according to the year of purchase, the initial letter of each name being the same, i.e. 1979 purchases all begin with ‘H’, 1980 with T, and so on. Bearing in mind that the value of a horse increases with the training received and experience gained - with the average period of service being about 14 years - the economics of the Mounted Branch compare favourably with motorised units.

The horse’s training is designed to produce a quiet, well-mannered animal that is well-balanced, obedient, and accustomed to moving traffic and to unusual sights and sounds; it must also work equally well alone and in the company of other horses. The basic training of an average horse takes about 6 months, but there are no hard and fast rules, it is never hurried and can be divided into three stages.

First the horse is handled and lunged. Then training is carried out from the saddle and the horse is first introduced to waving flags and rattles as a preliminary preparation for ceremonial duties. Tape recorders and amplifying equipment are used in the covered riding school to simulate such noises as railway trains and football matches. When the horses have grown used to this, the third stage of their training is continued out in the open. Crowd control is carried out by teaching the horses to move sideways into groups of people. This has been found to be the safest and most effective method. During all this training the greatest care is taken not to over-face or frighten the horse - the whole system is based on encouragement and reward.

When a horse has finished its training at Imber Court, it is allocated to an experienced officer who is responsible for the final stage, which takes place on the streets doing the various duties which comprise the working life of a police horse.

The results of the training can be seen eveiy year at the Metropolitan Police Horse Show at Imber Court-this is usually held around June each year.

On a normal day a mounted officer patrols for up to 4 hours, the rest of his 8 hour tour of duty being spent grooming, on general stable work and cleaning tack. On patrol he or she has the same duties as ‘foot’ colleagues, but, of course, has the added advantage of extra height and more chance to observe when assisting with traffic con­trol, dealing with crime rowdyism and other offences which might require police action.

The duty of the Mounted Branch is crowd control, whether it be a ceremonial occasion, a big sporting event or a demonstration. It has been argued that a trained man on a trained horse can do the work of a dozen foot police on such occasions.

THAMES DIVISION

In the 1790’s the West India Company of Merchantmen decided to form their own river patrol to protect their cargoes against looting and pilfering which were rife at the time. From this small beginning the idea of a river police was developed.

The first Marine Police Office was opened in 1798 on the site of the present Divisional Headquarters of Thames Division at Wapping. This consisted of a judicial department as well as a police depart­ment and was under the control of a resident Magistrate. In 1839 the Police Office was made part of the 10 year old Metropolitan Police and the judicial department became the Thames Police Court.

In the early days, the police officers carried out their work in row­ing boats and sailing craft but in 1910 motor boats were introduced. Today duty boats constantly patrol the river 24 hours a day, together with launches used by senior officers both for ordinary duty and ceremonial occasions. Apart from carrying gear required by Statu­tory and Port Regulations, the boats are also equipped with drags, lifebuoys, buoyant cushions, salvage gear and first aid equipment in­cluding a stretcher and a resuscitator.

Thames Division covers 54 miles of river from Dartford Creek to Staines Bridge and is served by three police stations. Some of these were originally hulks, but they have now been replaced by buildings on shore. The one exception is the station at Waterloo Pier, which is housed on a pontoon and remains unique as the only floating police station in London.

All the officers are volunteers drawn from every other Branch and Division in the Force. Numbers of them have served with the Royal or Merchant Navies. All officers can swim, have a high stand stand­ard of first aid and are required to pass an examination in the man­agement of boats and navigation.

The beat and patrol systems which operate on the river are simi­lar to those on land and have the same broad function to perform. This is the protection of life and property of all those connected with the river, whether they work there in the wharfs, live there or spend their leisure time on pleasure craft. In addition, Thames Division also has responsibility for dealing with vessels in collision, fires on ships, barges or wharfs, the salvage of property which has come adrift and the securing of drifting barges.

Wapping is also the headquarters of the famous Underwater Search Unit - the police frogmen. The Unit consists of nine divers with an Inspector in charge. It was first formed on a part-time basis in 1962 but, as the demands for its services grew, it became full-time in 1964. The Unit operates throughout the Metropolitan Police Dis­trict and is used to search rivers, flooded gravel pits and quarries, ponds, canals and waterways to recover missing persons, stolen prop­erty and weapons and other articles used in crime.

For nearly 200 years now, the Thames has been constantly pa­trolled. Many of the docks and wharfs in the Pool of London have closed and the use of the river is now turning to water sports and leisure which have their own problems of crime and accidents. There is little doubt that Thames Division will continue to provide a valuable service for as long as people and craft are on the river.