The Singapore Armed Forces Military Police Command (SAF Military Police Command), previously known as the Singapore Armed Forces Provost Unit (SAFPU), is the

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 ...

formation of the

Singapore Armed Forces The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) are the military services of the Republic of Singapore, responsible for protecting and defending the security interests and the sovereignty of the country. A military component of the Ministry of Defence (MINDE ...

(SAF). They perform policing duties to uphold standards of discipline within the SAF, and provide security coverage for key SAF military installations and the

Ministry of Defence {{unsourced, date=February 2021 A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...

(MINDEF) headquarters at

Bukit Gombak Bukit Gombak is a subzone of Bukit Batok, Singapore. It is a hilly neighbourhood in the west-central area of the Southeast Asian city-state of Singapore. In the Malay language, ''bukit'' means hill and ''gombak'' a bunch or collection of somethi ...

. The Military Police Command also perform

guard mounting Guard mounting, changing the guard, or the changing of the guard, is a formal ceremony in which sentries performing ceremonial guard duties at important institutions are relieved by a new batch of sentries. The ceremonies are often elaborate an ...

the Istana The Istana ( eng, The Palace) is the official residence and office of the president of Singapore. The palace is open to the public and is where the president receives and entertains state guests. The Istana is also the office of the prime mi ...

, and form the ceremonial

guard of honour A guard of honour ( GB), also honor guard ( US), also ceremonial guard, is a group of people, usually military in nature, appointed to receive or guard a head of state or other dignitaries, the fallen in war, or to attend at state ceremonials, ...

for state visits by foreign dignitaries and at other national events. Moreover, they maintain discipline within the SAF through enforcement and the operation of the SAF Detention Barracks, and search and rescue operations, amongst other duties. In wartime contingencies, the Military Police Command would be tasked with safeguarding

prisoners-of-war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war ...

, protecting rear echelon areas and headquarters, as well as securing important supply routes and relevant bases for Singapore.

History

The SAF Military Police Command started on 26 August 1966 as a single

company A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of people, whether Natural person, natural, Legal person, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common p ...

known as the Provost Company, which formally started operations at Beach Road Camp, where the first detention cells were located. At the time, the Provost Company was part of the Manpower Division and under the command of the 1st Singapore Infantry Brigade. When

National Service National service is the system of voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act 1939. The l ...

started in 1967, the Provost Company grew in size and moved to Hill Street Camp in 1970. Two other companies, the Dog and Operations companies, were established at Hill Street Camp. The Provost, Dog and Operations companies merged in February 1971 to form the SAF Provost Unit (SAFPU) and moved to Mowbray Camp at

Ulu Pandan Road An ulu ( iu, ᐅᓗ, plural: ''uluit'', 'woman's knife') is an all-purpose knife traditionally used by Inuit, Iñupiat, Yupik, and Aleut women. It is utilized in applications as diverse as skinning and cleaning animals, cutting a child's hair, cu ...

in July that year. Two sub-units, the Security Company and the Special Investigations Branch (SIB), were added to the SAFPU in 1973. The following year, a sixth sub-unit, the 1st Reservist Provost Company, was formed in the SAFPU. Up to the late 1980s, the SAFPU operated four different detention barracks located at Tanglin (opened in 1972), Changi (opened in 1973), Nee Soon (opened in 1974) and Kranji (opened in 1977). The Operations Company took on ceremonial functions in 1980 and formed the first

for the German ambassador to Singapore. The SAFPU brown uniform was first introduced in 1983. The following year, a 93-men unit drawn from the SAFPU formed the Silent Precision Drill Squad (SPDS), who trained under the guidance of foreign instructors for a performance during the 1984 National Day Parade at the

Padang Padang () is the capital and largest city of the Indonesian province of West Sumatra. With a Census population of 1,015,000 as of 2022, it is the 16th most populous city in Indonesia and the most populous city on the west coast of Sumatra. Th ...

. The SPDS performed again during the 1986 and 1988 National Day Parades. They also served as the guard of honour during the opening ceremony of the 1993 Southeast Asian Games. Starting in the mid-1980s, the SAFPU have been performing ceremonial sentry duties at

, the official residence of the

President of Singapore The president of Singapore is the head of state of the Singapore, Republic of Singapore. The role of the president is to safeguard the Reserves of the Government of Singapore, reserves and the integrity of the Singapore Civil Service, public serv ...

, and the monthly

ceremony outside the Istana. In 1995, President

Ong Teng Cheong Ong Teng Cheong ( zh, c=王鼎昌, p=Wáng Dǐngchāng; 22 January 1936 – 8 February 2002) was a Singaporean politician who served as the fifth president of Singapore between 1993 and 1999. He was also the first elected president in Singapor ...

presented the SAFPU with its colours. The SAFPU has moved to a new camp along Choa Chu Kang Way. Keeping with tradition, the road leading to the camp is named Mowbray Road and the new camp itself is still called Mowbray Camp. The SAF Detention Barracks was opened on 29 March 1987 next to the new Mowbray Camp to replace all the different detention barracks previously operated by the SAFPU. The old Mowbray Camp at Ulu Pandan has since been handed over to the

Singapore Police Force The Singapore Police Force (SPF) is the national and principal law enforcement agency responsible for the prevention of crime and law enforcement in the Republic of Singapore. It is the country's lead agency against organised crime; human, wea ...

and is currently used by the

Protective Security Command The Protective Security Command (ProCom) is a specialist counter-terrorist police unit of the Singapore Police Force (SPF). ProCom was formed to build up Singapore Police Force's public security capabilities and project police presence at securi ...

(ProCom). On 1 September 2006, SAFPU was renamed SAF Military Police Command and officially inaugurated by Lieutenant-General

Ng Yat Chung Ng Yat Chung is a Singaporean former lieutenant-general who served as Chief of Defence Force between 2003 and 2007. Education Ng received his secondary and pre-university education in Victoria School and Hwa Chong Junior College respectiv ...

, the Chief of Defence Force. The SAF Military Police Command came under the command of HQ 2nd People's Defence Force and expanded to include the SAF Band,

(MINDEF) headquarters, and the 8th and 9th Battalions, Singapore Infantry Regiment in 2011.

Organisation

The SAF Military Police Command is headed by the Command Headquarters at

Mowbray Camp Mowbray may refer to: People * Mowbray (surname), including a list of people with the name * House of Mowbray, an Anglo-Norman noble house * Baron Mowbray, a title in the Peerage of England * Mowbray Baronets a title in the Baronetage of the Un ...

. Its operational duties are subdivided into five categories – enforcement, ceremonial, security, incarceration, and criminal investigation – carried out by the Military Police Enforcement Unit (MPEU), Security Troopers from 8 SIR and 9 SIR, the SAF Detention Barracks, and the Special Investigation Branch (SIB).

Military Police Enforcement Unit (MPEU)

Singapore Armed Force Military Police MB Sprinter on driver training

Singapore Armed Forces Military Police during AOH 2022 300522

The Military Police Enforcement Unit (MPEU) serves as the main enforcement arm of the SAF Military Police Command. It comprises three

companies A company, abbreviated as co., is a legal entity representing an association of people, whether natural, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common purpose and unite to achieve specific, declared go ...

: the Law Enforcement and Ceremonial Company (LEEC), the Support Company, and the Military Working Dog Unit (MWDU). The LEEC routinely conducts spot-checks in SAF camps, bases, vessels, and on personnel returning from overseas deployment. They are also trained to conduct anti-riot operations in SAF camps and the SAF Detention Barracks. The LEEC has a Presidential Guards Platoon that mounts the

contingent for military and state events, and serve as ceremonial sentries at

, as well as performing the

ceremony outside the Istana on the first Sunday of every month. The Silent Precision Drill Squad (SPDS), which is under the LEEC, performs silent precision drills at the National Day Parade and international

military tattoo A military tattoo is a performance of music or display of armed forces in general. The term comes from the early 17th-century Dutch phrase ''doe den tap toe'' ("turn off the tap"), a signal sounded by drummers or trumpeters to instruct innkeeper ...

s. The LEEC also has a Special Security and Protection (SSP) Platoon that provides close protection cover for key appointment holders in the SAF and

(MINDEF). The Support Company has a Traffic Platoon that performs escort duties and conducts patrols to ensure that SAF personnel driving military vehicles comply with traffic regulations. It also has a Security Operations Detachment that works closely with the

to arrest SAF personnel who have deserted or gone AWOL or committed other military offences. It has an Escort and Processing Office Platoon in charge of registering and detaining suspects in holding cells at Mowbray Camp. The MWDU is in charge of training

sniffer dog A detection dog or sniffer dog is a dog that is trained to use its senses to detect substances such as explosives, illegal drugs, wildlife scat, currency, blood, and contraband electronics such as illicit mobile phones. The sense most used by ...

s and

guard dog A guard dog or watchdog (not to be confused with an attack dog) is a dog used to watch for and guard property against unwanted or unexpected human or animal intruders. The dog is discerning so that it does not annoy or attack the resident hum ...

s and carrying out operations involving these dogs.

Security Troopers

Security Troopers from the 8th Battalion, Singapore Infantry Regiment (8 SIR) provide security coverage at SAF camps, bases and military installations around Singapore, while Security Troopers from the 9th Battalion, Singapore Infantry Regiment (9 SIR) provide security coverage at key installations such as

Changi Airport Singapore Changi Airport, commonly known as Changi Airport , is a major civilian international airport that serves Singapore, and is one of the largest transportation hubs in Asia. As one of the world's busiest airports by international passen ...

, Sembawang Wharves and Jurong Island. The SAF Military Police Command also provides security coverage at the

(MINDEF) headquarters at

SAF Detention Barracks

The SAF Military Police Command operates the SAF Detention Barracks, currently the only

military prison A military prison is a prison operated by a military. Military prisons are used variously to house prisoners of war, unlawful combatants, those whose freedom is deemed a national security risk by the military or national authorities, and members of ...

in Singapore.

Special Investigation Branch (SIB)

The Special Investigation Branch (SIB) carries out criminal investigations in the SAF and MINDEF for military-related offences, including drug offences,

white-collar crime The term "white-collar crime" refers to financially motivated, nonviolent or non-directly violent crime committed by individuals, businesses and government professionals. It was first defined by the sociologist Edwin Sutherland in 1939 as "a ...

s and

cybercrime A cybercrime is a crime that involves a computer or a computer network.Moore, R. (2005) "Cyber crime: Investigating High-Technology Computer Crime," Cleveland, Mississippi: Anderson Publishing. The computer may have been used in committing the ...

Training

The Island Defence Training Institute (IDTI) conducts training for both active and

reservist A reservist is a person who is a member of a military reserve force. They are otherwise civilians, and in peacetime have careers outside the military. Reservists usually go for training on an annual basis to refresh their skills. This person is ...

Military Police personnel and Security Troopers. The Security and Policing Leadership School (SPLS), one of four schools in IDTI, conducts a 13-week training course for Military Police specialist (

non-commissioned officer A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is a military officer who has not pursued a commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority by promotion through the enlisted ranks. (Non-officers, which includes most or all enli ...

) cadets.

Uniforms

SAF Military Police wear different uniforms for specific duties or occasions. Their Number 3 uniform consists of a

olive drab Olive is a dark yellowish-green color, like that of unripe or green olives. As a color word in the English language, it appears in late Middle English. Shaded toward gray, it becomes olive drab. Variations Olivine Olivine is the typical ...

uniform shirt, olive drab pants, a pair of

combat boots Combat boots are military boots designed to be worn by soldiers during combat or combat training, as opposed to during parades and other ceremonial duties. Modern combat boots are designed to provide a combination of grip, ankle stability, an ...

, a white stable belt, a white

lanyard A lanyard is a cord, length of webbing, or strap that may serve any of various functions, which include a means of attachment, restraint, retrieval, and activation and deactivation. A lanyard is also a piece of rigging used to secure or lower ...

with a whistle, and a white helmet with the letters "MP" in red, or a dark blue beret. They also wear the pixelised camouflage Number 4 uniform with a black leather

brassard A brassard or armlet is an armband or piece of cloth or other material worn around the upper arm; the term typically refers to an item of uniform worn as part of military uniform or by police or other uniformed persons. Unit, role, rank b ...

on the right arm bearing the letters "MP" in orange. Security Troopers wear the Number 4 uniform with a brassard bearing the words "Security Trooper". They wear the Number 1 uniform at parades or ceremonial functions such as mounting a

. The SAF Military Police has a cap badge design featuring the

Coat of Arms of Singapore The coat of arms of Singapore is the Coat of arms, heraldic symbol representing the Sovereign state, sovereign island country and city-state of Singapore located in maritime Southeast Asia. It was adopted in 1959, the year Singapore attained Sel ...

and laurels similar to those on the

crest, and a ribbon design bearing the words "SAF Military Police" similar to that on the

crest.

Equipment

The SAF Military Police use a variety of firearms for use in both active duty and ceremonial functions. They are also equipped with truncheons for self-defence, as well as

handcuffs Handcuffs are Physical restraint, restraint devices designed to secure an individual's wrists in proximity to each other. They comprise two parts, linked together by a Link chain, chain, a hinge, or rigid bar. Each cuff has a rotating arm whi ...

and

cable tie A cable tie (also known as a hose tie, zip tie, or tie wrap) is a type of fastener for holding items together, primarily electrical cables and wires. Because of their low cost, ease of use, and binding strength, cable ties are ubiquitous, findi ...

s to restrain suspects.

References

External links

Official website

Pride, Discipline and Honour

Silent Drill by SAF MP Command Silent Drill Precision Squad (SDPS)Ep 3: Pride and Honour (The SAF Military Police Command)
{{Singapore Armed Forces Provost Law enforcement agencies of Singapore Western Water Catchment Military provosts