Provost Officer

[Henke]

Does anyone have any info on this position, other than that stated on the RAF website? It does look pretty interesting but I've heard the RAF police being slated for being nothing more than barrier lifters! I think it would be a different story for officers ie. being in charge of the barrier lifters!

[Rob B]

...but I've heard the RAF police being slated for being nothing more than barrier lifters! I think it would be a different story for officers ie. being in charge of the barrier lifters!

They're back stabbers too mate. The big difference for a zob is that no-one will talk to you in the Officers Mess rather than in the Airmens Mess / NAAFI.

HTH

Rob B

[Biggles1211]

Not true, I've several friends who are Provost Officers - they enjoy the Mess as much as anyone. Very popular guys.

From all accounts, it's a fascinating job with a wide variety of aspects (Security, Counter-Intelligence, Investigations etc).

After a 1st tour as Station Security Officer, there is the opportunity for employment on Provost & Security Services (P&SS), Staff Tours, Tactical Police Wing, Air Transport Security and a myriad of other 'specialist' functions. They can also work closely with Intelligence people and support Special Forces.

[Rob B]

Thanks for the correction....of course all plod (regardless of rank) are only there to help and are immensely popular with everyone they meet. Not to mention every one of them has a rewarding and fulfilling career from day one leading to the pinnacle of their trade group.



Rob B

[ExCrabMate]

Agree with Rob, never met a finer bunch of people.

[Rob B]

Not to mention, Biggles me old mucker, that your 'several friends' are hardly going to 'fess up and tell you that everyone in the Mess hates them, that they are as popular as impotency in a free brothel and their jobs are duller than the dullest ditchwater with the career prosepcts of Saddam Hussein.

Now are they?

The best copper I ever met had four legs, a tail and ate a lot of winalot

Rob B

[Rockape]

The only way the RAFP support SF is by scanning their bags at Brize or Lyneham!

My experience of the RAFP is that devoid of any real police work, they concentrate on stitching people up. I was at a RAF Regt sqn function a couple of years ago when an couple of the lads allegedly assaulted an RAF bloke who 'gatecrashed' the party and after refusing a polite request to leave, was ejected. To cut a long story short, somebody standing next to a blonde girl was alledged to have witnessed the whole thing. Because my wife has blonde hair, I was dragged in by the RAFP and interviewed by the slimiest, most obnoxious individual I have ever met.

I was basically accused of covering for the lads, and the RAFP reported this to the chain of command. I was 'called for' by OC Admin Wing and told that I should 'come clean'. Needless to say, I told him in no uncertain terms that the RAFP were way off the mark. My integrity and honesty were called into question by this git who reported me and it's something I'll never forgive them for.

Oh, and by the way, the function theme was dress up in female rig, so there were loads of blokes around wearing blonde wigs. Never thought about that, did they! God, they make Inspector Clouseau look like Sherlock Holmes!

[Rob B]

Here's another beauty for you. As a young married SAC I had recently marched into a quarter that was previously occupied by a RAFP who had just been posted. At the time I had a Kawasaki motorbike and it was parked up outside. Old RAFP came round on his motorbike one weekend to visit a neighbour. Anyway, come Sunday he's getting ready to leave and as he was packing his bike he noticed his chain needed adjusting. He didn't have any tools with him and since I was right next door working on my bike I let him borrow some of mine. I went into the house for a cup of tea when I was done and after about ten or fifteen minutes I realised matey outside was taking a long time. So I popped outside to see how he was getting on to find that he had emptied my entire toolbox out and was checking each item to see if it had the military 'kite' mark on it (and no they didn't before you ask).

Tossers the lot of them.

Rob B

[Rob B]

Not forgetting the incredibly switched on young RAFP at St Athan who once turned away all the buses for the hundreds of civvy workers because one bus driver didn't have his pass. Our helpful hero didn't think to try and book the driver in, or even call up his boss for advice. No, clever lad turned them all around and sent them packing. Result was that there were no buses to transport all the civvies home at the end of the day until someone called the bus company and promised to pay through the nose for them to come back !

Guess who got called in the Staish's office the following morning ? Our hero ? Nope, it was our hero's boss.....still want the job Henke ???

Rob B

[Henke]

Eh, nah.

[Biggles1211]

Not to mention, Biggles me old mucker, that your 'several friends' are hardly going to 'fess up and tell you that everyone in the Mess hates them,

It was the same Mess that I lived in..and they were great guys. (...and no, I'm not a Provost Officer myself).

that they are as popular as impotency in a free brothel and their jobs are duller than the dullest ditchwater with the career prosepcts of Saddam Hussein.

Admittedly, the role for an junior 'unsubstantive' Corporal is pretty much restricted to 'Entry Control'. Also admitted, that many of these newbie RAFP don't really have a proper 'grip' of how to enforce their authority.

However, established, substantive RAFP Cpls have a very wide variety of roles to fill. P&SS work can be very challenging - especially the IT forensics stuff (+ huge money to be made when you leave the Service). Dog Handlers always have a smile on their faces. TPW guys have recently had lots of overseas experience (remember the photos of them training Afghan police that were featured in RAF News a few months ago?)

The only way the RAFP support SF is by scanning their bags at Brize or Lyneham!

I have experience of RAFP working in support of SF base operations during Telic. I also worked alongside RAFP guys doing some pretty interesting stuff in Oman the other year.

My experience of the RAFP is that devoid of any real police work

That experience being limited to a Junior RAFP Cpl strutting his 'stuff' at your station. Hardly a true and accurate picture of the entire scope of the Branch.

It would be a bit like saying that RAF Regt were only involved in basic point defence duties......which we know is a very limited description of their duties.

[Rob B]

It was the same Mess that I lived in..and they were great guys. (...and no, I'm not a Provost Officer myself).

Ever catch them going through your laundry counting how many pairs of socks you had ? Some might laugh but I know that has happened in both the Officers and Sergeants Messes, not to mention a few block 'raids', on a number of camps. Great guys one and all Still, your mates might be the exception to the rule, you never know.

Admittedly, the role for an junior 'unsubstantive' Corporal is pretty much restricted to 'Entry Control'. Also admitted, that many of these newbie RAFP don't really have a proper 'grip' of how to enforce their authority.

However, established, substantive RAFP Cpls have a very wide variety of roles to fill. P&SS work can be very challenging - especially the IT forensics stuff (+ huge money to be made when you leave the Service). Dog Handlers always have a smile on their faces. TPW guys have recently had lots of overseas experience (remember the photos of them training Afghan police that were featured in RAF News a few months ago?)

Baby scuffers are without doubt the worst of the breed, but in my experience they are so fixed on becoming substansive that they will do literally anything to get noticed. Then when they do decide to get out they seem quite surprised that they are not immediately welcomed into the civvie constabluary that they've invariably applied to. I wonder why ???

Anyway it's all well and good to highlight the glamourous possibilities to the would be recruits here but we know that the majority will spend their time on the gate and rattling doorknobs after cease work. I wonder for instance just how many RAFP there are, and just how many are employed in P&SS / CP work etc....you mention, not a lot I'll bet. It strikes me that it is far better for all concerned if they join up with their eyes wide open and fully aware of any possible career limitations.

Best thing for those thinking about joining in any trade is to contact their nearest Station and see if the PRO can put them in touch with that section on camp. Then they can talk to the people actually doing the job and see if it is what they really want to do.

As it happens when I was looking to join up I seriously considered the RAFP and wisely arranged to visit a RAFP Section to see what goes on. It didn't take me long to realise it wasn't for me and I looked elsewhere, so three cheers for me

Rob B

[goldie ex rmp]

Very interesting topic and posts to this baby........just to put my little bit of info into this debate, RAF Police in the eyes of many RMP are just,"BARRIER UP! BARRIER DOWN", "ID CARD PLEASE ,SIR", Im sure this is not the case in the light of day and im sure they have many specialist tasks but it is said amongst us redcaps that a senior rank RAFP has about as much skill at police work as a very junior RMP NCO in BAOR. With regards to said RAFP being a little excited about block raids,petty offences etc, im sure that you will find most of this type of policeman/woman is as new to policework as Tony Blair is to speaking the truth or at least they are in the RMP. Most of the sensible members of RMP are like myself ex corps etc and so have an idea as to what Joe Squaddie gets up to, having probably done the same if not worse before donning the glorious REDCAP and becoming a Saint, i never nicked anyone for anything that i would do or have done and im quite proud of that fact. In all jobs you get to@sers it just appears that when your doing something you shouldn't be doing some to@ser will jump out from nowhere and nick you or count your socks in the wash bag. Anyone thinking of a job with the RAFP i would strongly suggest that you also look into the RMP as our hats are a much better colour.

[mercury]

There is always the P&SS of course

I remember once waking up on the sofa hearing someone moving around the quarter, thinking it was the missus I nodded back off , only to awaken later . Getting up I made my way to the back door which was open , there were also wet foot prints on the floor with grass clippings ( the grass cutter had been round camp the day before )

Cursing the wife ( not for the first time in my life ) I went to lock the door

No keys

I chained it and went upstairs

No wife

Someone had been in my MQ whilst i was asleep

When the wife came home I drove to the guardroom ans reported the incident, the bloke on duty put it in the log and told me to come back in the day which I did. Whereupon I was basically accused of lying that someone had been in my house for the purposes of insurance fraud.

The investigation ended there

12 months later I was in the Outer Hebs in a new posting when I got a knock at the door, it was the RAFPOL

Turns out my visitor was the camp deviant who , when picked up for something less sinister had a collection of back door keys , all of the dependents id card photos and a rather nasty relationship with his daughters


Shame the feds didnt bother to dig deeper that night it could have saved those girls a lot of heartache

So Raf pigs ?

[goldie ex rmp]

like i said mate a RAFP SNCO is about as bright as a RMP LCPL just from Depot