This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-37404915
The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Kent Police to patrol with guns at Canterbury Cathedral and other locations | Kent Police to patrol with guns at Canterbury Cathedral and other locations |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Police armed with guns are to patrol routinely in Kent, in locations including Canterbury Cathedral, Dover port and the Bluewater shopping centre. | |
| The move comes following recent terrorist attacks in Europe, but is not in response to specific intelligence. | The move comes following recent terrorist attacks in Europe, but is not in response to specific intelligence. |
| The armed presence is intended as a deterrent and to allow an immediate response in an emergency, police said. | The armed presence is intended as a deterrent and to allow an immediate response in an emergency, police said. |
| The Kent force's approach has been criticised as being likely to worry people rather than reassure them. | The Kent force's approach has been criticised as being likely to worry people rather than reassure them. |
| The move comes amid high national threat levels and Deputy Chief Constable Paul Brandon said it would enable police to react quickly if necessary. | The move comes amid high national threat levels and Deputy Chief Constable Paul Brandon said it would enable police to react quickly if necessary. |
| 'Get used to it' | 'Get used to it' |
| "Tragically, what we have seen in France and other areas that it's in the first hour that there is large numbers of casualties," he said. | "Tragically, what we have seen in France and other areas that it's in the first hour that there is large numbers of casualties," he said. |
| But Frank Furedi, professor of sociology at the University of Kent, said there were better ways to police the county. | But Frank Furedi, professor of sociology at the University of Kent, said there were better ways to police the county. |
| "I have been to Belgium recently where there are armed police everywhere, but when you talk to Belgians they are far more scared than previously. | "I have been to Belgium recently where there are armed police everywhere, but when you talk to Belgians they are far more scared than previously. |
| "I would rather Kent Police had a more low-key approach. The real deterrent is always behind-the-scenes, intelligence-led policing." | "I would rather Kent Police had a more low-key approach. The real deterrent is always behind-the-scenes, intelligence-led policing." |
| Mr Brandon, who said the terror threat facing the county was "unprecedented", said officers were currently being redeployed from other tasks and the number of firearms officers would be increased over the next 12 to 18 months. | |
| "There are officers at this moment going through a very stringent selection process," he said. | "There are officers at this moment going through a very stringent selection process," he said. |
| The British police on routine armed patrol | The British police on routine armed patrol |
| Kent Police has not said how many armed officers it will deploy but the government announced in April there would be an extra 1,500 across England and Wales and the Metropolitan Police has said the number of armed officers will go up in London by 600 to 2,800. | Kent Police has not said how many armed officers it will deploy but the government announced in April there would be an extra 1,500 across England and Wales and the Metropolitan Police has said the number of armed officers will go up in London by 600 to 2,800. |
| Kent Police Federation said the deployment was an unprecedented increase for the county. | Kent Police Federation said the deployment was an unprecedented increase for the county. |
| But its chairman Ian Pointon said the public were used to seeing armed officers at airports and London railway stations and would get used to this. | But its chairman Ian Pointon said the public were used to seeing armed officers at airports and London railway stations and would get used to this. |