MDP marks five years of Project Servator

The Ministry of Defence Police is celebrating its fifth anniversary of deploying the counter terrorism tactic Project Servator.

MDP Project Servator deployments first began at HM Naval Base Portsmouth and the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) sites in Berkshire during March 2017, following an initial trial in 2016. The deployments can now also be seen at Defence HQ in Whitehall, Menwith Hill and the HM Naval Bases at Clyde and Devonport. A surge capability is available where required too, for example to provide support for local and national events.

Project Servator is a highly visible policing tactic that aims to disrupt a range of criminal activity, including terrorism, while providing a reassuring presence for the public.

MDP Project Servator teams have identified criminality ranging from the carrying of knives, weapons, and drugs, to shoplifting, immigration and driving offences, to potential terrorist related activity, where intelligence is shared with specialist teams for assessment and possible sharing with other policing colleagues.

Superintendent Steffen Morgan-Fisher said: “We’re pleased to be celebrating five years of Project Servator in the Ministry of Defence Police. Project Servator deployments are integral to creating a network of vigilance and a difficult environment for criminals and terrorists to operate within, across the UK. In the MDP, we’re proud to serve and protect defence and critical national infrastructure, whilst working as part of the wider national counter terrorism and intelligence gathering context.

“During the coming year we will be expanding our use of Project Servator to other sites that we protect and by the end of April all frontline MDP officers at Whitehall will have completed Project Servator training. This will see an increase in the number of MDP Project Servator deployments in the area, so if you see us come and say hi.”