The Joint Military Police Unit (formerly the Joint Service Police Group) is the unified

military police Military police (MP) are law enforcement agencies connected with, or part of, the military of a state. In wartime operations, the military police may support the main fighting force with force protection, convoy security, screening, rear recon ...

agency of the

Australian Defence Force The Australian Defence Force (ADF) is the military organisation responsible for the defence of the Commonwealth of Australia and its national interests. It consists of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Forc ...

. The Joint Military Police Unit is led by the Provost Marshal who reports to the

Chief of Joint Capabilities The Chief of Joint Capabilities (CJC) is the head of the Joint Capabilities Group (JCG) in the Australian Department of Defence, part of the Australian Defence Organisation. This position was created on 1 July 2017. The current chief is Lieuten ...

responsible for general policing, law enforcement, and the

Australian Defence Force Investigative Service The Australian Defence Force Investigative Service (ADFIS) is the unified investigative arm of the Australian Defence Force's Joint Military Police Unit. Initially formed in 2007 as a part of the service police until its amalgamation into th ...

History

Preceding agencies

Joint Military Police Unit

The Joint Military Police Unit was formed on 1 March 2018 after renaming the Joint Service Police Group and integrating the

. In January 2020, the General Duties policing capability went online and adopted all domestic policing functions within Navy, Army and Air Force bases Australia-wide. The JMPU is currently in a 'test and adjust' period regarding Standard Operating Procedures and the employment of new equipment such as stab-proof vests, oleoresin capsicum spray and purpose-built Holden Colorado police vehicles (modelled from Victoria Police vehicles).

Responsibilities

The Provost Marshal of the

serves concurrently as the Commander of the Joint Military Police Unit exercising technical control and authority over all joint and single service policing capabilities such as,

Naval Police Military police (MP) are law enforcement agencies connected with, or part of, the military of a state. In wartime operations, the military police may support the main fighting force with force protection, convoy security, screening, rear recon ...

Coxswain The coxswain ( , or ) is the person in charge of a boat, particularly its navigation and steering. The etymology of the word gives a literal meaning of "boat servant" since it comes from ''cock'', referring to the cockboat, a type of ship's boat ...

at sea, Air Force Police, and

Royal Australian Corps of Military Police The Royal Australian Corps of Military Police (RACMP) is a corps within the Australian Army. Previously known as the Australian Army Provost Corps, it was formed on 3 April 1916 as the ANZAC Provost Corps. It is responsible for battlefield traff ...

. The support to combat operations remain as single service capabilities. JMPU is responsible for assessing all reportable incidents (both domestic and international) where there is suspicion of a civilian or Service offence having been committed. If a reasonable suspicion of a Service offence exists, JMPU will notify the suspect's Unit that they have decided to commence an independent investigation. If a reasonable suspicion of a civilian offence is established, the relevant State/Territory police agency will be informed. Although individual military units may conduct their own investigation (referred to as a 'Fact Finding Investigation') and proceed to charge the suspected member without the support of the JMPU, it is common for Units to request investigation by the JMPU in cases which deal with moderate and serious level offending.

Structure

The JMPU is made up of two distinct areas General Duties Policing and the

. The JMPU includes an intelligence section, a records office, a digital forensic unit, a forensic services branch, a fraud and debt recoveries unit, and a legal section. The Joint Military Police Unit also maintains a Modernisation and Training Directorate consistent with the wider Defence outcomes of force modernisation. This Directorate is however staffed on a part-time basis.First Principles Review of the ADF Service Police

Department of Defence Department of Defence or Department of Defense may refer to: Current departments of defence * Department of Defence (Australia) * Department of National Defence (Canada) * Department of Defence (Ireland) * Department of National Defense (Philipp ...

Insignia

All members of the Joint Military Police Unit regardless of their parent organisation (Navy, Army or Air Force), are required to wear the patch shown below whilst wearing Dress Order No 4A ‘General Duty Dress' (Australian Multi-cam Camouflage Uniform).

References

{{Law enforcement in Australia Military units and formations of Australia Federal law enforcement agencies of Australia Australian military law