SWISS MILITARY POLICE | ||||
 |
These pages are based on the official web pages of the Swiss MP Zone 2. The original photographs are also taken from those pages. The original pages can be found here | |||
| History. Switzerland's land-locked situation coupled with its long tradition of neutrality has left it with unique militarv prohlems. As Norway, Denmark and Holland-learned to their cost in World War Two, neutrality in itself is not enough to protect a small country against its more powerful neighbours if the latter regard invasion as strategically necessary. Despite having no natural enemies, Switzerland with its commanding position in Southern Europe might be considered a legitimate target in any future war and for this reason has always maintained a highly effective Army. The Army and Air Corps, which are incorporated into a single force concept, consist of 1,500 regular servicemen supported by 18,500 recruits called up in each February and July to undertake 17 weeks basic training. Thereafter the recruits transfer to the Reserve and are liable to report for three weeks refresher training between the ages of 20 and 32; for a further fortnight between the ages of 33 and 42; and for a final 7 days' training over a two-year period between the ages of 43 and 50. Reserves keep their weapons at home to facilitate mobilisation in an emergency, as a direct result of which a staggering 625,000 soldiers, including 45,000 ofIlcers, 110,000 NCOs and 3,000 women auxiliaries can be called to arms within 48 hours of a crisis. However dedicated the Reserves, they are only able to flght within their own parameters. |  |
|||
Organisation. The military police of Switzerland are organised in four military police zones. For example MP Zone 2 handles troops in cantons: Basel city, Basel landscape, Aargau, Solothurn and Berne (the yellow area of the map). In addition they take over the representation of other military police zones, if they are not in operation.
|
 |
|||
| Jurisdiction. The jurisdiction of the Swiss military police is not known. |
|
|||
Duties. Duties of the Swiss military police are:
|
||||
| Selection and Training. Nothing is known about the selection and training of Swiss military police. | ||||
 |
||||
| Military Police Vehicles. The military police vehicles correspond to the standard civilian police patrol car. The equipment carried in the vehicle is also equivalent to that in a civilian police patrol car. Each military police zone possesses several of these vehicles. |  |
|||
The vehicle equipment contains among other things:
|
 |
|||
| The Criminal Investigation Department suit-case contains all the materials, which are necessary for professional protection of track and latent print protection. Prints from fingers, tools and other forms, such as vehicles, can be saved. The medicine and drug proof suit-case contains the necessary equipment to check a persons ability to drive after an accident.
|
||||
|
||||
| Military Police Uniforms. Swiss military police uniforms are based on those of the Swiss armed forces. This includes Service Dress and camouflage dress. Military police wear distinctive collar badges on both the Service Dress uniforms and also on their camouflage dress. A badge is also worn on their berets. An badge also appears to be worn on the arms of the MP. A distinctive band is worn around the helmets of military police, and it is also believed that a white brassard with a black letter "P" is worn. |
Beret badge |
|||
 |
 MP Zone 2 arm badge |
 Service dress collar patch |
||
It is also believed that the background colour of the collar patch indicates whether the wearer is from the Military Police or Army Traffic Police. These colours are as follows:
|
 Camouflage dress collar badge |
|||
