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One in three UK officers want all police to carry guns, survey finds Majority of police officers are prepared to carry guns, survey finds
(about 4 hours later)
Support for a fully armed police service has grown among the rank and file as forces confront an unprecedented terrorist threat, according to a staff survey. A majority of police officers are prepared to carry a firearm as longstanding opposition to being routinely armed melts in the face of escalating dangers.
One in three (34%) respondents to a poll by the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) were in favour of routine arming of all officers. The proportion was up from less than a quarter (23%) in the previous survey on the issue in 2006. However, two thirds did not support routine arming of all officers. A national survey by the Police Federation, which covers rank and file officers in England and Wales, found that 55% said they would carry a firearm if asked or ordered to, up 11% compared with when the last national survey was conducted in 2006. That response is different to the percentage who believe they and colleagues should be routinely armed, which was 34%, up since the last survey when it stood at 23%.
Most police officers in the UK are unarmed, setting the country apart from many others. British police officers are traditionally unarmed, with guns going to those who volunteer and who undergo a high level of training. Only officers in Northern Ireland are routinely armed.
The PFEW polled its membership to gauge views on a topic which has come under the spotlight again after a wave of terrorist attacks. Of the officers who completed the survey 42.5% thought they and their colleagues should receive training and be armed as and when necessary, and did not back routine arming.
Analysis of 32,366 responses showed 8.9% believed all officers should receive appropriate training and be armed at all times, whether on or off duty. Another 25.2% backed arming all officers but only when on duty. The survey demonstrates to the public that the mood is changing within policing after terrorist attacks and a rise in violent crime.
These figures compare with 4.9% and 18.5% respectively in the previous survey on the issue. Within policing it bolsters the hand of those who think routine arming should be considered. Steve White, the chair of the federation, said: “I fear that we are moving inexorably to a situation where in some years time we will have to have a fully armed police service.”
In the latest poll, the most common response (42.5%) was that firearms should not be issued to all officers but more should receive training and be armed as and when necessary. The Guardian revealed that Simon Chesterman, the national lead for armed policing, wrote a paper for police chiefs in July outlining how routine arming would work, including details on training. Responding to the federation’s survey on behalf of the National Police Chiefs Council, Chesterman said: “We are now undertaking a further review of the level of armed policing in light of the significant shift in the terror threat to the UK. Chiefs remain committed to our model of policing with the principle of minimal use of force and a routinely unarmed service at its core.
Others said all officers should be trained and be given firearms as and when necessary (16.8%), or that the status quo was about right (6.2%). “The review considers the risk to the public and our officers who are first on the scene. Chiefs will consider the initial findings of this review in October, along with the results of the Police Federation’s survey on their members’ views.”
The federation represents more than 122,000 officers, of whom 23% replied to the survey.
Police outside of London are concerned because they have fewer guns than those in the capital and fear they might struggle to rush enough armed officers to the scene of a terrorist attack. In the survey, 56% of officers did not believe armed officers would arrive quickly enough if needed.
Ministers and police chiefs have been trying to increase the number of specially trained armed officers since the November 2015 terrorist attack on Paris, which left 130 people dead.
The Association of Police and Crime Commissioners lead on use of force, Martyn Underhill, said: “We recognise that in recent times, policing has found itself operating within a rapidly evolving landscape. From the challenges posed by terrorism to the increase in reported knife crime, threats to public safety are constantly emerging and resources remain stretched.
“Against this backdrop, the debate on how to best equip officers has been brought to the fore, with forces nationally examining uplifts in firearms and Taser provision.”
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