RAFP in the news

A Royal Air Force Regiment unit has been disbanded following abuse allegations, the Defence Secretary has said.

The unit, named as "Support Weapons Flight" by Ben Wallace, has been "disbanded with immediate effect".

Mr Wallace told the House of Commons: "We were all appalled by the reporting we saw of the incident involving members of the RAF Regiment at the weekend.

"The RAF Police are investigating the incident and the victims have been offered our full support.

"The Chief of the Air Staff and I had a discussion about the incident over the weekend and he has, with my support, acted quickly.

With the introduction of the new RAF Police Op Model the newly embedded No. 5 RAFP (ISTAR) Sqn will operate 24/7/365 to secure ISTAR information, assets & personnel, through the utilisation of Protective Security, Counter Intelligence, Military Working Dog and Law Enforcement

A DOG breeder found 70 stolen dogs after tracking down the criminals who stole his puppies.

Tony Cronin, QPD, a pet breeder who lives in west Wales, decided to start an investigation of his own after five of his spaniels and two litters of puppies vanished.

After a tip-off about a potential location, Mr Cronin arrived at a site in Carmarthenshire, where he discovered his own dogs among 70 pets, some of which were caged.

Two people were arrested by police at the location, from which 22 dogs have since been returned to their owners, while a further 46 remain in kennels.

“It was really well hidden, which is why they use it, and as we were going up the track, a huge group of dogs came up to greet us,” Mr Cronin said.

“There were Westies, Labradors, pugs – everything running at us [and] barking like mad. Right in the middle was one of my own dogs, running towards me.

“She was quite timid and then she saw me and she ran towards me and leapt into my arms and that was that.”

Supt Robyn Mason, of Dyfed Powys Police, said that dog theft had “certainly increased” during the coronavirus pandemic.

The RSPCA is among the groups to have expressed its concern about rising dog thefts, as the demand for different breeds has skyrocketed during lockdown.

The average asking prices for puppies more than doubled between March and September 2020, according to figures taken from the Pets4Homes website, while DogLost, a missing pets website, reported a 170 per cent increase in stolen dogs last year.

Fraudsters have made the situation worse by posing as animal welfare officers, the RSPCA has warned in an appeal to the public.

“If one of our officers knocks on your door, please ask to see their ID and check their uniform for branding,” a spokesman for the charity said.

“Our staff wear navy blue uniforms with the RSPCA logo, as well as white shirts with a black or blue tie and black epaulettes.”

correction from Tony
I will probably have to go around and make sure all the reports are correct, I am of course not a pet breeder, we only breed for demand from Police and Prison services, the five adults were our trained detection dogs, 2 drug dogs, one Digital search dog, (phones/sim cards etc), 2 Cash & Tobacco search dogs.. The pups were sired by my Fox red Lab that is a drug dog..trained to scan people. The pups were a litter of sprockerdors and a litter of springadors, out of the 17 pups 9 are destined for Police/Prison. In just 11 minutes my business was destroyed,, luckily a bit of old fashioned detective work and a big bit of luck led me to my dogs, just before they were to be moved to another site, where unspeakable things were going to be done to them, firstly their chips would have been cut out with scissors, then they would have been injected with stolen drugs to get them to come into season immediately, I wont rest till i find the criminal element.

Earlier this week we asked you which branch of the Royal Air Force was nicknamed ‘Snowdrops’ and the answer was, of course, the RAF Police.

The nickname comes from their white hats and, if you look closely, you’ll see the flowers engraved on the edges of the Royal Air Force Police Memorial at the Arboretum (pictured).

The Royal Air Force Police has supported worldwide RAF operations since 1918. Total officers peaked in 1945, when the branch comprised 20,500 personnel. The RAF Police Special Investigation Branch identified the 72 Nazis who executed 50 recaptured RAF officers who had taken part in the Great Escape.

Throughout the 30 year ‘Cold War’ the branch provided security protection for the RAF’s nuclear deterrent. More recently, the RAF Police specialises in aviation security, counter intelligence, protective security, law enforcement, and information and cyber security.

Lockdown hasn’t stopped RAF Police WO Lee Close dropping into the Police section at RAF Honington for a COVID compliant catch up. Making #TimeToTalk is essential to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of our people.

Richard Wood (60) has been fined £3,400 by Caernarfon Magistrates for landing at RAF Valley in Anglesey last year during the Coronavirus lockdown.

He landed on Runway 19 at RAF Valley despite no permission to do so and work was being carried out on the runway.

The landing set off an emergency at the RAF base as it was assumed Wood had landed there as an emergency but it emerged that he had simply read about the airfield on Wikipedia and that it said it handled civilian aircraft as well as military.

Anglesey Airport is set within RAF Valley however that is solely for the use of the inter-wales PSO flight from Cardiff Airport.

After he landed the aircraft was searched by RAF Police and Wood was told he could not depart until the base reopened the following day. But again Wood ignored officials and said he was departing anyway and it was judged in the interest of safety to not block the aircraft in.

Wood did not attend the hearing but the court was told that he had originally planned to fly to Yorkshire to visit his mother but was told he was “busy” and that is why he changed his plans to head for a day trip to a beach.

Miss Dudley-Jones, representing the Civil Aviation Authority told the court that Airfield Fire Officer Keith Roberts had approached the aircraft after landing and instructed Woods to shut down and exit the aircraft.

Mr Roberts asked the defendant why he landed there and Woods replied “I wanted to see the beach” and when asked about Coronvirus restrictions he said, “It’s okay I had Covid-19 two months ago.”

She told the court: “Mr Roberts described his attitude as initially flippant and arrogant but it changed when he realised the seriousness of the situation.”

He admitted illegally landing and taking off from the base and in a letter to the court he said he undertaken “many hours of training and flight testing since this day and now have my full UK licence.”

The court heard that the millionaire from Chelsea, West London had an income of £375,000 per year. They fined him £3,400 and also ordered him to pay £750 costs and a £190 victim surcharge which he must pay in full in 28 days.

RAF Valley is home to the Royal Air Force (RAF) No4 Flight Training School which carries out advanced fast jet training using Beechcraft Texan II and BAe Hawk T2s and also No1 Flying Training School which uses the Airbus Jupiter HT1 for maritime and mountain helicopter training for the RAF and Royal Navy.

Aviation Security Flight would not be without it’s furry mascots! This is Luna, a 1 and a half year old chihuahua who belongs to Flt Cdr ASF, Fg Off Adams. Luna absolutely loves all the attention she gets on ASF and coming in to see her other dog colleagues.

There are now 11 confirmed Covid-19 vaccination hubs across Nottinghamshire as the NHS rollout of jabs continues.

The latest local vaccination service opened on Saturday, January 16, at Newark Showground as part of the roll-out of the Covid-19 national vaccination programme.

Among the first to receive a vaccination at the new site were ex-veterans Tony Parker, aged 81, and his wife Beryl Parker, aged 82, who both live in Newark.

Having met each other in Singapore while serving for the RAF, the Parkers have been married for more than 60 years and have spent the majority of the pandemic shielding together.

Mr Parker said: “We are pleased to be receiving the vaccination and are looking forward to being able to see our family safely again, spending time with them is what it’s all about.”

Nottingham and Nottinghamshire's NHS Clinical Commissioning Group is asking for residents to wait until they have received a letter before contacting the NHS, their GP or local hospital.

19/1/21

RAFPolice No 1 (Specialist) Police Wing recently established a liaison officer with its opposite number in the United States; the Department of the Air Force, Office of Special Investigations.

Both organisations exist to protect critical technologies and information, detect and mitigate threats, provide global specialised police and security capability, conduct serious and complex criminal investigations, and counter foreign adversaries and threats.

This vital post will enable the timely and effective sharing of intelligence, co-ordinated responses to protect joint interests and the development and dissemination of specialist best practice.

There has already been significant success across the counterintelligence, space and cyber domains and is only the beginning of a highly effective and mutually beneficial future relationship.

Flight Sergeant Penny Jordan has been awarded a CAS Commendation in the New Years Honours 2021. Awarded for her dedication, forward thinking, passion and hard work that she has shown during the last decade on SIB

Yesterday RAFPolice from RAF Brize Norton were providing aviation security when the Royal Air Force delivered nearly 6,000 life-saving Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines to RAF Gibralter on behalf of @FCDOGovUK

RAF Police Sgt Dave Taylor is a volunteer with the @LEBBSBloodBikes. Since the pandemic began they have delivered COVID-19 test samples and recently they were collecting breast milk from a self isolating mum to her baby in a hospital Neonatal Dept

Best wishes to Warrant Office Bob Byrne MBE as he finally retires after 40 yrs service in the RAF Police. During his service he has been all over the world. Thank you to RAF_Valley for giving Bob the send off he deserves

Congratulations to Number 7 RAF Police and Security Squadron who are the winners of the 2020 De Putron Trophy.

Number 7 RAF Police and Security Squadron provides policing and security for the south of the UK, units include RAF Benson, Brize Norton, Northolt, Odiham and St Mawgan. Their entry demonstrated the demanding year the Sqn has had and how it continuously protected and secured the RAF and its assets 24/7/365.

The De Putron Trophy is awarded annually to the regular or reserve RAF Police formation that has shown the greatest achievement, leadership, exceptional standards and endeavours, and is awarded following the assessment of a submission by the RAF Police Sqns.

The De Putron trophy was commissioned in 1948 by the former Provost Marshal, Air Commodore D De Putron CB, CBE, RAF.

A corporal based at RAF Leeming is undertaking an 876-mile virtual ride covering the equivalent distance from Land’s End to John O’Groats in aid of the RAF Benevolent Fund, the RAF’s leading welfare charity.

Cpl Paddy Flint, 43, is a member of the RAF Police and has served in the Royal Air Force for more than 20 years.

In 2015, Paddy was diagnosed with Non-Epileptic Attack Disorder, a condition that causes him to blackout.

Paddy was previously a dog handler/trainer, instructor, and coach/mentor, and while the diagnosis radically affected his career he has successfully fought to stay in the RAF.

He was also forced to surrender his driving license in 2013 which has since affected his career path. However, earlier this year Paddy was awarded a grant for a recumbent trike by the RAF Benevolent Fund.

Paddy said: “The RAF Benevolent Fund has been instrumental in giving me my life back.

“The recumbent trike they funded has given me not only fresh impetus to get out and about, but it has also become a primary mode of transport since I surrendered my driving licence.

“Through this challenge I hope I can show that anyone can do this, because apart from my usual few miles I’ve done no training whatsoever.

“I’m also aware that the RAF Benevolent Fund won’t have had as many chances to get out and ‘rattle the buckets’ this year, so any amount I can raise will be vital in assisting service personnel and their families.”

You can show your support by donating to Paddy’s fundraising page: justgiving.com/paddy-flint.

The RAF Benevolent Fund provides financial, emotional, and practical assistance to serving and retired RAF personnel and their families. This includes grants to help with financial difficulty, free memberships for Headspace, Airplay youth clubs, and more.

Aaron Tillyer, Regional Fundraiser at the RAF Benevolent Fund, said: “I’m thrilled that we were able to support Paddy earlier this year by providing a grant for his recumbent trike, and it’s really inspiring to see that he’s decided to set this challenge in order to give back to the Fund. This support will allow us to continue supporting the RAF Family, whenever they might need us.”

The RAF Benevolent Fund has launched a range of welfare initiatives to support personnel and their families through the Covid-19 pandemic.

It introduced a 24-hour emotional support helpline, created an online mental wellbeing zone, and began offering Headspace memberships to RAF partners and spouses.

The fund has also offered a £2,500 grant to each RAF station to provide activity and wellbeing packs for RAF children and launched Airplay Connect, an online version of its youth support service.

Flight Sergeant Chris Ward joined the RAF Police Reserves 16 years ago because he felt it would offer him an opportunity to specialise and travel the world. As you will see from his story the RAF Reserves has certainly lived up to his expectations.

To date he has travelled throughout Europe, the Middle East, Iceland, Canada, USA and Belize. His chosen trade has proven flexible by fitting around his lifestyle and is always delivering on those amazing experiences.

In March Chris mobilised as part of OP RESCRIPT to work alongside his regular RAF Police colleagues at RAF Wittering, where, for 4 months he was in charge of law enforcement and investigations. The section was really busy, and he found myself involved in changing security processes to align with government guidance such as social distancing and training personnel for a range of tasks in support of Covid-resilience.

In July he took command of a Mobile Testing Unit, managing a team of 12 military personnel travelling around East Anglia to Covid testing hotspots. He also trained up teams of civilian contractors to took over the role at the end of the summer.

Chris has returned to his civilian role now as an Actuary but feels incredibly proud to have done his ‘bit’ in the fight against the pandemic. He feels blessed to have the support of his family especially as his partner is a Teacher and he is very grateful to his employer for allowing him to mobilise at such short notice.

on receiving the Worshipful Company of Security Professionals RAF Police Protective Security Award ‘Securing the Skies’.

The award was recognition for his significant contribution to the RAF’s ISTAR Force and protection of its mission winning capability during the period 1 January – 31 December 2019.

The ceremony was held via Zoom and the award was presented by the Master WCoSP, Yasmeen Stratton.

RAF Leeming corporal to undertake 876-mile challenge