The Military Police Centre of Excellence is an innovative think tank and training environment for advancing military policing capabilities, serving as the motor of the Alliance’s effort to build an integrated, Alliance-wide military police for that is prepared for any operational eventuality.
Located in Bydgoszcz, Poland, the Military Police Centre of Excellence provides complex and effective military policing capabilities across all Alliance operations. The Centre focuses on supporting the Alliance by preparing efficient military police officers for multinational cooperation. This readiness is particularly important given the changing nature of security environments in Europe and beyond over the past five years. In line with Allied Command Transformation initiatives, the Centre focuses on the full integration of operational considerations within the development of military policing doctrine. In doing so, the Centre is a key support structure to enhance interoperability across the Alliance’s operations while also providing an important backstop to frontline NATO operational capacity.
The Centre must constantly adapt and innovate its policy and doctrines to respond to changing geopolitical dynamics in the Alliance’s area of operations. In late 2022, the analysis of lessons learned from recent migrant and refugee flows in Europe enabled the Centre to host a webinar on the Military Police Endeavours in Migration and Refugee Crisis. These insights helped Alliance stakeholders better shape future protocol to combat both potential hybrid threats stemming from mass migration as well as prepare for humanitarian concerns related to refugee flows. More recently, the Centre has analysed the implications of Russia’s unprovoked, full-scale invasion of Ukraine and develop contingencies to strengthen Alliance response in case of war. The Centre’s constant adaptation aids Alliance readiness and contribute to the NATO Warfare Capstone Concept.
The Centre’s educational and training functions take a two-fold approach to informing Allied and Partner nations on military policing protocol. On one hand, the Centre’s physical and digital police work seminars are industry leaders. Hosting thirteen core courses in 2023 with numerous other webinars and seminars, the Centre provides both physical and theoretical instruction on a wide range of military policing subjects. On the other hand, the Centre has the dual challenge and privilege of educating the Alliance on the capabilities and potential uses for military policing. Although some view the military police force as merely an enforcer of discipline and control, the Centre encourages stakeholders to view the force instead as a multinational, cooperative organization that works across the Alliance’s operational domains. The Centre has also begun emphasizing the integration of significant cyber capabilities into its traditional policing responsibilities, demonstrating the agility of the Centre to adapt to changing operating environments.
The Centre’s participation in the Battlefield Evidence Collection Working Group is an example of how the Centre is actively working to foster integration and interoperability across the Alliance. The primary goal of this initiative is to improve the circulation and dissemination of forensic evidence within the Alliance, integrating the expertise of numerous agencies and centres to foster a better understanding of overall forensics. Furthermore, the Centre’s participation in the initiative has the added benefit of enhancing external law enforcement agencies’ understanding of navigating forensic evidence, thus strengthening the resiliency of Allied domestic police forces.
In recognition of the Centre’s achievements, the Centre gained status as a hub for the Military Police Community of Interest. While this achievement demonstrates the Centre’s expertise, it also allows the Centre to foster greater collaboration among Allied and Partner military police forces. For example, the Centre has deepened its contribution to the development of the Ukrainian Military Law and Order Service. The growth of this partnership, which began in 2016, shows the importance of the Centre in engaging with military stakeholders throughout the Alliance’s ecosystem.
NATO-accredited Centres of Excellence are (multi-) nationally established and sponsored entities, which offer recognized expertise and experience within a defined subject matter area to the benefit of the Alliance. Centres of Excellence are not part of the NATO Command Structure, but form part of the wider framework that contributes to the functioning of the Alliance. Headquarters Supreme Allied Commander Transformation coordinates the activities of the Centres of Excellence, ensuring that their outputs align with Allied Command Transformation’s Programme of Work. For more information about NATO-accredited Centres of Excellence, see the 2023 Centres of Excellence Catalogue.
