Design Guide: Military Police Facilities
DG 1110-3-146
Space Organization Considerations: Physical Characteristics
December 1979
Physical
team has become an accepted nucleus of staff or-
d. REQUIREMENTS FOR FLEXIBILITY
organization for MP investigations, physical security,
characteristics of flexibility must reflect the approved
absentee apprehension and traffic sections; a divi-
requirements for flexibility and growth in specific func-
sion of space which provides for shared, private or
tional activities. Generally, the individual requirements
semi-private offices will best meet their functional
for flexibility will vary in intensity and sophistication. The
requirements.
potential for actual implementation of provisions for
flexibility will depend on the specific requirements of
individual public and private activities and the special
(4) Special Requirements Special requirements
conditions and requirements involved in the develop-
for design flexibility must be identified where the
ment of organizational components. In general, the
probability of future expansion or change is high, or
following should be considered:
where future increases in manpower and equipment
authorizations have been approved. Since the scale
and intensity of crime prevention and law enforce-
(1) Public Activities Public activities usually re-
ment programs are largely associated with the size
quire general office-type spaces and great flexibility.
and character of local military installation activities,
These requirements are related to the support re-
change or expansion in military police requirements
quired by installation activities as well as to changes
will depend to a great extent on change and expan-
in Individual law enforcement workloads. Physical
sion in support requirements, tactical, mission or
characteristics involving provisions for spatial and
population characteristics at the installation level. If
functional flexibility of public activities should be es-
anticipated changes at the installation level are likely
tablished on the basis of an acceptable probability of
to affect total MP operations, the Individual level of
change in the scale of operations of supported activ-
design flexibility implied by such change must be
ities. The characteristics Inherent in the need for
identified and documented. Such documentation
flexibility are usually reflected by minimal require-
should Include a reassessment of functional or staff
ments for permanently placed partitions and by an
organization requirements.
organization of site elements that avoids unneces-
sary constraints on the future arrangement of the
e. REQUIREMENTS FOR EXPANSION Require-
building elements required by public activities.
ments for expansion will determine the location of fixed
position activity areas. These include critical operations
areas, on-duty areas, operational storage facilities, and,
(2) Private Activities Private activities of a critical
where required, Interior sources of natural light. In iden-
operations nature and their functional support areas
tifying space organization principles, the using service
tend to remain relatively stable In terms of their
should consider the specific characteristics of expan-
physical characteristics, such spaces do not need to
sion in terms of public and private activities and describe
be physically flexible in order to respond to fluc-
alternatives in terms of the following physical elements:
tuations in the support requirements at the instal-
lation level. Rather, they should reflect an emphasis
(1) Relationship of organizational components
on utilizing technological, organizational and equip-
ment flexibility as well as on changes in the allocation
(2) Space requirements for supporting activities.
and sophistication of programs, services and staffing
The expansion of the functional requirements for one
arrangements to compensate for alterations in basic
or more primary areas may have a physical impact
operational support requirements.
on the location and space requirements of activities
which support essential functions.
(3) Special Conditions The supervisory, support
and service-oriented functions of various operations
sections represent an exception to the general condi-
(3) Internal an external circulation patterns (major
tions governing the expansion of military police op-
and minor corridor systems).
erations spaces. Although they are considered to be
"private", operational-type activities, they closely re-
semble administrative-type activities in that they have
(4) Mechanical and structural systems. Alterna-
physical and environmental requirements similar to
tive studies should indicate the suitability of modular
general office spaces with the exception of special
vs. random Increments of expansion; systematic dis-
space requirements, such as those for Interview,
tribution of HVAC services vs. Individual or direct unit
evidence, storage and meeting areas or for MP desk
supply.
and prisoner processing and support areas, opera-
tions sections can benefit from the space flexibility
(5) Location of relatively fixed interior and exterior
provided for general office areas. The spatial divisions
spaces. Alternative studies should indicate the suit-
of such office areas depend on functional and opera-
ability of space allocations that avoid unnecessary
tional peculiarities. For example, the investigative
impediments to expansion.
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