In our local rag a few months back there was a picture of 2 RAF coppers with the local beat bobby. The article stated that this was a joint policing venture for our village to ensure law and order. They are even referred to as community policemen and have a MQ to use as the patch office. Over the summer we had the usual troubles with bored teenagers causing a nuisance at the Spar and around the village. Where were the RAFP? Good question. So I asked. Not allowed to intervene, not our responsibility. So why do you have a MQ and why are you calling yourselves Community Policemen? Because we can stencil your kids bikes with invisible ink to make it easier to find if it gets nicked!!!
Well, that's OK then. Money well spent.
Turns out one of the main troublemakers is son of one of these glorious chaps and he was told of his sons behaviour by the Spar manager. His response? To go down there on a Saturday morning and threaten the manageress.
RAFP? :mad: :mad: :mad: The lot of them.

well i was just going by what i was told face to face by the coppers i used to know, and i seem to recall there was more than a bit of good natured animosity between the shifts in the SSA. i remember one of the flt/sgt's i used to see occasionally on the odd piss up didn't like the fact he had so many younger coppers to work with.

Nice public relations exercise by the RAF and nothing more than that. Probably a Stn Cmdrs idea... To police the village would represent misemployment of RAF resources. RAF personnel working for or on behalf of the Chief Constable would raise very serious issues - liability & injury - who would pay, Chief Constable or MOD.

RAF personnel assisting a police officer at the scene would be no different a situation than any civilian assisting. RAF Police could not act in the capacity of police constable. Advise given was 100% correct - RAF not allowed to intervene & not an RAF responsibility.

Can understand that, we would all have wanted to work with grown men, but the Forces recruits people from school who are still drinking milk. Still, can be good fun training them:)

i was 16 when i joined up, and i was soon weened off milk! ;)

I still try to suckle though!!!

PA

Rules state that RAF Police vehicles should neither display nor use blue lights when off the unit unless they have the permission of the appropriate chief constable.

The rule book goes on to say the many chief constables welecome the presence of the jam sandwich vehicle driving off camp as it acts as a deterrent to many civvies as it adds a visible police presence and also help to keep the brutal and licenscious under observation too.

So, there we have it. The RAFP are nothing but a cheap special effect. Just confirms what i have always thought.

Yup, there is a positive spin on everything. Glad you could shine a light on it :}

RAF Police
 

A couple of years ago a mate of mine confessed that, following a run in with the base police, he renamed the unit police club in a dawn "raid" with a 6' by 4' signproclaiming it to be the Blue Oyster Club (the not terribly hetro Bikers Den in the Police Academy films). Only just got away with it though....

St Peter's at the Pearly Gates. He spies three blokes at the front of the queue. St Peter looks at the first first one,
"What did you do mate?"
"I was in the RUC."
"The RUC, that's fantastic! Out the back is a bit of a sectarian riot. Get in there, sort it out and afterwards I need you to investigate some terrorists who are running guns up from Hell." Off runs the RUC officer to break some heads.
St Peter asks the second man, "What did you do?"
"I was a Met police officer."
"The Met, that's fantastic! Down the side is a bit of a race riot. Get in there, sort it out and afterwards I need you to investigate some Yardies who are smuggling drugs up from Hell." Off runs the Met officer to sort it all out.
St Peter then asks the third bloke, "What did you do?"
"I was an RAF policeman."
"An RAF policeman, that's fantastic! Guard the gate whilst I go and have a pee!"