The Military Police is one of the security bodies
of the state, called up to carry out tasks in the areas occupied
by armed forces. The aim, scope of operation and areas of
responsibility of the Military Police are indicated in the
Military Police and Military Order Bodies Act. The essential
activities of the Military Police are performed in three areas:
-
prevention of crime and pathological phenomena within the army;
-
investigative operations;
-
ireventive actions.
The first Polish Military Police Unit was formed
in 1812 in Lithuania, and thereafter, in conformance with the
then applicable law,
the
Military Police Corps
was
created, operating within the military structures of the Duchy
of Warsaw. The soldiers of the
Military Police proved their courage, mettle
and devotion many times and the most well-known example of these
was a battle nearby the town of Debe Wielkie in the period of
the November
Insurrection.
In August 1918 on the orders of Józef Piłsudski, the then
Marshal, the field military police were formed.
Their task was to support the commanders of troops in
maintaining security and order in areas of military operations.
In August 1919, the Military Police was subordinated to the
Minister of Military Affairs.
At that time, the tasks of the military police
were specified. Functions fulfilled by the Military Police
include: the carrying out of the duties of the court police,
normal police tasks as well as protection and assistance
services.
During World War II, the Military Police operated
within the structures of the Polish Armed Forces in the West,
and after the war had ended it was disbanded in 1949. At that
time, the tasks of the military police were taken over by the
Military Internal Service. In the present form, the Military
Police started its activity in 1990 as specified in the
Regulations by the Minister of National Defence.
The functions and tasks of the Military Police
consist of: ensuring the observance of military discipline;
protection of life and health as well as property, from illicit
attempts aimed at the damage or misuse of these goods; protection of
VIPs; maintenance of security and public order and protection of
state and official secrets; provision of criminal expertise; the
prevention of crimes and offences and other crime-generating
phenomena as well as the detection of crimes and offences and the
prosecution of their perpetrators, ensuring the observance of order
and administrative regulations.
The Military Police runs reconnaissance, crime
prevention, order, and investigative and protective operations. One
of the greatest challenges, which this unit has to face, is to take
effective action against organised crime, which gets through the
gates of military units and is becoming increasingly daring and
brutal. The Military Police also carries out convoy, assistance and
patrol services. The Military Police has a right to give reprimands,
check identities, detain, search, control traffic and apply security
and coercion measures.
The Military Police consists of two basic functional
departments: investigative departments and order services. Its
organisational structure is as follows: the National Military Police
Headquarters, 4 regional headquarters, 11 departments, supervising
56 other sites. The Chief Commandant of the Military Police is
subordinated to the Minister of National Defence.
The Military Police Special Units
were formed within the structures of the Military Police. These
units specialise in special operations of a police nature.
