Cyprus Military Police

Under British administration, the role of the CMP was expanded to include guard, escort and prison duties, as well as tackling the high crime rate.

Shortly after this, it was decided to integrate the military police and pioneers into a single force consisting of an establishment of 8 British officers, 9 Cypriot officers, 220 mounted and 473 foot rank and file, governed by a chief commandant and six local commandants responsible for the six administrative districts of Cyprus.

[3] By the late 1890s the Cyprus Military Police had become a well-trained force drawn from both the Turkish and Greek Cypriot communities, under the control of a single island-wide command.

CMP personnel were housed in barracks under military discipline, with the eight most senior officer positions being filled by secondment from the British Army.

[2] A detachment of mounted zaptiehs participated in Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee celebrations of 1897, where their fezzes and blue and scarlet zouave-style jackets attracted much attention.