As the Ministry of Defence Police approaches three years since it first adopted use of Project Servator at HM Naval Base Portsmouth, the Force has been presented with a ‘Highly Commended’ Team Award at the recent Government Security Conference Awards…
The MDPProject Servator team were among more than 180 nominees at the annual awards event.
Assistant Chief Constable Dave Long commented: “This is a fantastic outcome for the MDP Project Servator team. From our officers on the ground, to our Central Support Group, to our Force Training Lead and Strategic Lead, to the drum beat of social media posts and publicity materials this award recognises their collective efforts in ensuring the high standard and effectiveness of our deployments.”
Project Servator is a policing tactic which aims to disrupt a range of criminal activity, including terrorism, whilst providing a reassuring presence for the public. The approach relies on building a network of vigilance made up of staff, communities, customers and stakeholders, business and community partners and the general public.
The MDP Project Servator team’s highly visible deployments, with supporting assets (such as police dogs and armed officers) and a focus on community engagement and collaboration with local forces, have seen an increase in arrests for theft, possession of offensive weapons and drugs and traffic and immigration offences, along with an increase in intelligence gathering.
Effective engagement with members of the communities that the MDP Project Servator team serve, in and outside the wire, has also strengthened the counter-terrorism focus on being vigilant and reporting anything that does not seem right.
Project Servator was first developed and introduced by the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure and the City of London Police in 2014 and it is now used by a growing number of police forces in the UK, Gibraltar and most recently Australia.
Image – Crown Copyright: Cabinet Office