Successful Royal Military Police attachment with response continues

Ahead of Armed Forces Day 2025 tomorrow (Saturday 28 June), officers from our South Staffordshire and Cannock local policing teams (LPTs) have welcomed the fourth attachment of Royal Military Police (RMP) to join its ranks, as part of our ongoing commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant.

The Royal Military Police (RMP) is responsible for providing a policing and investigative capability to the British Army, ensuring the enforcement of Service law and maintaining discipline both in the UK and on operations worldwide. 

This latest attachment, which began in April, see the RMP officers attend a variety of different calls to service with our response teams. 

Each RMP officer is assigned a response officer from the LPT to shadow as they go about their day, attending a variety of calls to service.

The scheme, which has been running since September 2023, sees a number of RMP officers, currently based at Parson Barracks in Donnington, join forces with their Staffordshire officer mentors regularly to find out more about local response policing and its impact on communities. 

The RMP officers, who are vetted and trained to the same standard as our regular officers, go out with our response teams on their regular shifts, attending everything from domestic abuse incidents to road traffic collisions, burglaries, anti-social behaviour incidents and drug-related criminality.

They also visit local schools, community hubs and other places of local importance, to engage with those living and working in the area.

Each officer reports back on the incidents they have attended, such as assisting in arrests, collating of evidence, speaking with victims and liaising with social services. RMP officers provide support to response officers across the local policing team area, helping to liaise with witnesses, safeguard victims and search properties where appropriate. 

L/Cpl Kelvin Gordon, who is part of the scheme and attachment in Cannock, said: “I have thoroughly enjoyed my attachment with Staffordshire Police, specifically with Cannock local policing team officers. 

“The force has set up the appropriate training which has allowed me to work alongside several response officers, treating me as part of the team and enabling me to develop my skills. 

“The response team is full of knowledge and experience, which has meant that each situation we have attended has been reacted to in the most appropriate way. 

“Attending everything that a response officer has, from helping to rescue a dog from a canal after it escaped a kennel to serious road traffic collisions; it really has been an experience to remember.”

Cpl Michael Boult, of the same attachment, said: “This six-week placement has been a fantastic, eye-opening experience and I’m so glad to have been a part of it. 

“The wide array of incidents that I attended and dealt with have helped to grow my policing knowledge and confidence in a really positive way. 

“From instances of domestic violence to public order offences, road traffic collisions and assaults to everything in between; the sheer volume and variety of incidents that response officers attend and manage in such a professional manner is to be commended. Everyone was so welcoming and helpful.”

Inspector David Shorter, who supports the RMP officers and is based in south Staffordshire, said: “The RMP officers do a brilliant job in supporting our response colleagues, dealing with the incidents that have a significant impact on our communities, working in partnership and collaboration with officers from Staffordshire Police.

“I’d like to thank them all for their ongoing commitment to the scheme and congratulate them on their successful partnerships.” 

We support colleagues in the armed forces as part of our armed forces network. To find out more about our networks and careers in the force, visit: An Inclusive Organisation. 

To find out more about our Armed Forces Covenant, see: Armed Forces Covenant | Staffordshire Police.