# Protection Command > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Protection_Command > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Protection_Command.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protection_Command > Source revision: 1341673737 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Command within London's Metropolitan Police}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} The '''Protection Command''' is one of the commands within the [Specialist Operations](/source/Specialist_Operations) directorate of [London](/source/London)'s [Metropolitan Police Service](/source/Metropolitan_Police_Service).{{cite web |url=http://content.met.police.uk/Site/protectioncommand |title=Specialist Operations |work=[Metropolitan Police Service](/source/Metropolitan_Police_Service) |access-date=8 June 2009}} The command specialises in [protective security](/source/protective_security) and has two branches: Royalty and Specialist Protection (RaSP), providing protection to the [royal family](/source/British_royal_family) and [close protection](/source/close_protection) to [government officials](/source/United_Kingdom_Government), and [Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection](/source/Parliamentary_and_Diplomatic_Protection) (PaDP), providing uniformed security to government buildings, officials and diplomats.[http://content.met.police.uk/Site/protectioncommand Protection Command], Metropolitan Police Service. Retrieved 26 February 2016. In contrast with the vast majority of British police officers, many members of the Protection Command routinely carry firearms in the course of their duties and all are [authorised firearms officer](/source/authorised_firearms_officer)s.{{cite web |url=http://www.global-defence.com/2003/police_03.htm |title=Metropolitan Police Force's Firearms Unit |work=Global-defence.com |access-date=8 June 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080708234122/http://www.global-defence.com/2003/police_03.htm |archive-date=8 July 2008}}{{cite web |url=http://www.met.police.uk/foi/pdfs/policies/police_use_of_firearm_policy_october2015.pdf |title=Police Use of Firearms Policy |work=[Metropolitan Police Service](/source/Metropolitan_Police_Service) |date=December 2013 |access-date=23 October 2015}} == Branches == [[File:Behind bars (3414375371).jpg|thumb|[Armed officers](/source/Authorised_firearms_officer) behind the security gates at [Downing Street](/source/Downing_Street) in London]] In April 2015, the branches of Protection Command and elements of Security Command were merged into two distinct branches under the control of Protection Command: Royalty and Specialist Protection (RaSP; a merger of Royalty Protection and Specialist Protection) and Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection (PaDP; a merger of the Diplomatic Protection Group and the Palace of Westminster Division of Security Command). === Royalty and Specialist Protection === With several palaces within the [Metropolitan Police District](/source/Metropolitan_Police_District), the Met provided special protection officers to the royal family from its beginnings in 1829, with these usually selected from its [Special Branch](/source/Special_Branch) after its formation in 1884. Royalty protection officers at that time were attached for administrative purposes to ["A" Division](/source/Police_division), although they were part of A8 Branch within ["A" Department](/source/Assistant_Commissioner_of_Police_of_the_Metropolis) at New Scotland Yard.'Royalty Protection Branch SO14', in Fido and Skinner, ''The Official Encyclopedia of Scotland Yard'' (London: Virgin Books, 1999), pages 230-231 This changed in 1978 when the Royalty Protection Branch was formed as a separate non-divisional specialist unit. That later became a Command numbered SO14 within [Specialist Operations](/source/Specialist_Operations) and was finally merged with the Specialist Protection Command (SO1) in April 2015 to form Royalty and Specialist Protection (RaSP). The department has three service areas: # [Close protection](/source/Bodyguard) for members of the Royal Family, government ministers (which includes the [Prime Minister](/source/Prime_Minister_of_the_United_Kingdom)) and visiting heads of state. # The [Special Escort Group](/source/Special_Escort_Group_(Metropolitan_Police)) (SEG) who provide mobile armed protection to members of the royal family and government ministers # [Armed security](/source/Authorised_firearms_officer) at royal residences in London, Windsor and Scotland. === Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection === Diplomatic Protection originated in November 1974 as a result of the [Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations](/source/Vienna_Convention_on_Diplomatic_Relations). It was placed under Chief Superintendent [Douglas Cree](/source/Douglas_Cree) as A8(3) Branch, again within "A" Department, becoming A11 Branch by 1982. {{Citeweb|url=https://british-police-history.uk/f/metropolitan-dpg|title=Metropolitan Police Diplomatic Protection Group}} In 1980 one of its officers at that time, [Trevor Lock](/source/Trevor_Lock_(police_officer)), became involved in the [Iranian Embassy Siege](/source/Iranian_Embassy_Siege). In 1983 A11 Branch became RDPD(D), one half of the Royalty and Diplomatic Protection Department (RDPD) and later still SO16, again within Specialist Operations.'Diplomatic Protection Group (SO16)', in Fido and Skinner, ''The Official Encyclopedia of Scotland Yard'' (London: Virgin Books, 1999), pages 68 to 69 Diplomatic Protection Group (SO16) and [Palace of Westminster](/source/Palace_of_Westminster) Division (SO17) were then merged to form the [Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection](/source/Parliamentary_and_Diplomatic_Protection) (PaDP) in April 2015. PaDP provides armed and unarmed protection of embassies, missions and the Parliamentary Estate and residential protection for high-profile government ministers. They are responsible for access control and security at Downing Street and New Scotland Yard. PaDP was the command in which Police Constable [Keith Palmer](/source/Keith_Palmer_(police_officer)), who was killed in an [attack at Westminster in 2017](/source/2017_Westminster_attack), worked,{{cite news |title=London attack: What we know so far |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-39355108 |date=22 March 2017 |publisher=[BBC News](/source/BBC_News) |access-date=23 March 2017}} as did convicted kidnapper, murderer and rapist [Wayne Couzens](/source/Wayne_Couzens) who used his status as a Police Officer to deceive his victim [Sarah Everard](/source/murder_of_Sarah_Everard) by falsely arresting her. == See also == * [List of protective service agencies](/source/List_of_protective_service_agencies) * [Counter Terrorism Command](/source/Counter_Terrorism_Command) * [Territorial Support Group](/source/Territorial_Support_Group) * [United States Secret Service](/source/United_States_Secret_Service) * [Fixated Threat Assessment Centre](/source/Fixated_Threat_Assessment_Centre) * [Special Protection Group](/source/Special_Protection_Group) (India) * [Federal Protective Service (United States)](/source/Federal_Protective_Service_(United_States)) * [Federal Protective Service (Russia)](/source/Federal_Protective_Service_(Russia)) == References == {{reflist|30em}} == External links == * [http://content.met.police.uk/Site/protectioncommand Official Webpage] {{Metropolitan Police}} Category:Metropolitan Police units Category:Protective security units --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Protection Command](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protection_Command) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protection_Command?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.