As part of my junior officer's training, I accompanied a Petty Officer Regulator and his Leading Regulator sidekick of the Chatham-based Naval Provost Marshal's Shore Patrol around the hot spots of the Medway towns one Saturday night. They advised me to stay in the vehicle in the event of any altercation. As stated before, this was intended more to protect any sailor from aggravating his offence by having a pop at me than protecting me from injury.
The Naval Patrol had a close relationship with the local civpol and they looked out for each other's interests. On spying a long-haired drunk acting aggressively towards a group of people on the pavement, the PO Reg exited the patrol wagon saying, "It's okay, Sir. You can come along on this one. He's a civvy."