thedrifter
03-11-08, 04:08 AM
Marines to hire civilian police on Yuma air base
BY JAMES GILBERT, SUN STAFF WRITER
Beginning this summer, military police won't be the only ones guarding the gates at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma and enforcing laws at the air station.
Provost Marshal Capt. Larry Vines said the base plans to hire and start training the first of 65 civilians who will serve as on-base police officers by the end of April. It's part of plan of a Corps-wide plan to free up military police for future deployments.
"We have already begun the recruiting and hiring process. We will begin interviewing next week," Vines said. "There will always be military police on Marine bases, we are just augmenting them."
Vines said the civilian police officers will serve on the provost marshal's current all-Marine force here. The provost marshal force is essentially the on-base police office and the provost marshal is its police chief.
The shift, according to Vines, stems from a Corps plan to hire 1,300 civilian officers over the next three years to serve on the Marines' 14 bases within the United States.
"It is important to understand there is no distinction between these civilian police and military police. They are not security guards, they will have the same powers on base."
In addition to the 35 hirings next year, Vines said the base plans to hire 15 civilian police in fiscal year 2009 and another 15 in fiscal year 2010. He said they will also be hiring a deputy provost marshal and three watch commanders, which are all management positions.
The civilian police officers, Vines explained, will hold the same authority of their Marine MP counterparts, such as the ability to issue tickets, conduct searches and make arrests, regardless of the ranks of those involved.
With the Marine Corps short on military police, Vines said, the purpose of the hiring is to allow for more military police units to be deployed overseas.
"We need more military police units in the operational force," Vines. "This is a great program to keep a nondeployable security force in Yuma, and at the same time allow more military police to deploy."
Vines said all the civilian officers will attend an nine-week training academy on base. It will be similar to what Marines go through at the military police school, he added.
Vines said the Department of Defense (DOD)-approved curriculum covers general as well as service-specific law enforcement topics such as patrol and post activities, searches, first aid, use of force, weapons, communications, traffic management, report writing, civil disturbances and hazardous material response.
"They will be taught to the DOD standard. It essentially mirrors what military police are taught, minus the field skills."
Vines said he expects the first academy to get under way in late April and graduate its first class of civilian police sometime in June. A second academy is expected to be held in August.
Civilian officers will have to pass semiannual fitness tests, which will include a 300-meter sprint, crunches, push-ups, mile-and-a-half run and a 145-pound dummy drag. A physical health examination, drug test, psychological screening and background check must also be passed prior to employment.
Besides Yuma, 11 other Marine Corps bases will hire civilians in the near future. In 2006, Marine Corps Logistics Bases in Barstow, Calif., and Albany, Ga., as well as the Marine Corps' Blount Island Command in Jacksonville, Fla., converted to civilian police.
"Now that the Corps has pulled the trigger on this its here to stay." Vines said.
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James Gilbert can be reached at jgilbert@yumasun.com or 539-6854. The Desert Warrior, MCAS Yuma's newspaper, contributed to this report.
Ellie
BY JAMES GILBERT, SUN STAFF WRITER
Beginning this summer, military police won't be the only ones guarding the gates at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma and enforcing laws at the air station.
Provost Marshal Capt. Larry Vines said the base plans to hire and start training the first of 65 civilians who will serve as on-base police officers by the end of April. It's part of plan of a Corps-wide plan to free up military police for future deployments.
"We have already begun the recruiting and hiring process. We will begin interviewing next week," Vines said. "There will always be military police on Marine bases, we are just augmenting them."
Vines said the civilian police officers will serve on the provost marshal's current all-Marine force here. The provost marshal force is essentially the on-base police office and the provost marshal is its police chief.
The shift, according to Vines, stems from a Corps plan to hire 1,300 civilian officers over the next three years to serve on the Marines' 14 bases within the United States.
"It is important to understand there is no distinction between these civilian police and military police. They are not security guards, they will have the same powers on base."
In addition to the 35 hirings next year, Vines said the base plans to hire 15 civilian police in fiscal year 2009 and another 15 in fiscal year 2010. He said they will also be hiring a deputy provost marshal and three watch commanders, which are all management positions.
The civilian police officers, Vines explained, will hold the same authority of their Marine MP counterparts, such as the ability to issue tickets, conduct searches and make arrests, regardless of the ranks of those involved.
With the Marine Corps short on military police, Vines said, the purpose of the hiring is to allow for more military police units to be deployed overseas.
"We need more military police units in the operational force," Vines. "This is a great program to keep a nondeployable security force in Yuma, and at the same time allow more military police to deploy."
Vines said all the civilian officers will attend an nine-week training academy on base. It will be similar to what Marines go through at the military police school, he added.
Vines said the Department of Defense (DOD)-approved curriculum covers general as well as service-specific law enforcement topics such as patrol and post activities, searches, first aid, use of force, weapons, communications, traffic management, report writing, civil disturbances and hazardous material response.
"They will be taught to the DOD standard. It essentially mirrors what military police are taught, minus the field skills."
Vines said he expects the first academy to get under way in late April and graduate its first class of civilian police sometime in June. A second academy is expected to be held in August.
Civilian officers will have to pass semiannual fitness tests, which will include a 300-meter sprint, crunches, push-ups, mile-and-a-half run and a 145-pound dummy drag. A physical health examination, drug test, psychological screening and background check must also be passed prior to employment.
Besides Yuma, 11 other Marine Corps bases will hire civilians in the near future. In 2006, Marine Corps Logistics Bases in Barstow, Calif., and Albany, Ga., as well as the Marine Corps' Blount Island Command in Jacksonville, Fla., converted to civilian police.
"Now that the Corps has pulled the trigger on this its here to stay." Vines said.
---
James Gilbert can be reached at jgilbert@yumasun.com or 539-6854. The Desert Warrior, MCAS Yuma's newspaper, contributed to this report.
Ellie