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-44151242
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 0 | Version 1 |
---|---|
Rural police 'could routinely carry guns' | Rural police 'could routinely carry guns' |
(35 minutes later) | |
Front-line officers in remote, rural communities could be routinely armed in order to deal with terror threats, police chiefs have said. | Front-line officers in remote, rural communities could be routinely armed in order to deal with terror threats, police chiefs have said. |
The move is being considered by the National Police Chiefs' Council because of a lack of specialist counter-terrorist firearms officers. | The move is being considered by the National Police Chiefs' Council because of a lack of specialist counter-terrorist firearms officers. |
It comes after a drive to recruit these officers in England and Wales fell short by about 100. | It comes after a drive to recruit these officers in England and Wales fell short by about 100. |
Police said arming officers in remote areas would be a last resort. | Police said arming officers in remote areas would be a last resort. |
Counter-terrorist specialist firearms officers (CTSFOs) are trained with special forces to deal with a raft of situations, including hostage rescues and terror attacks. | Counter-terrorist specialist firearms officers (CTSFOs) are trained with special forces to deal with a raft of situations, including hostage rescues and terror attacks. |
Plans were put in place to bolster the UK's capacity for armed responses in the wake of the Paris terror attacks in 2015, in which 130 people died. | Plans were put in place to bolster the UK's capacity for armed responses in the wake of the Paris terror attacks in 2015, in which 130 people died. |
Over the past two years, the Home Office has funded an extra 874 armed officers in England and Wales - bringing the total to more than 6,400 in April 2017. | |
But on a practical level, police chiefs have estimated that in rural communities, such as Devon and Cornwall, a firearms unit could be between 30-70 miles away in the event of a major incident. | |
Analysis | Analysis |
By Home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw | By Home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw |
Two years ago, police warned that "unarmed and vulnerable" officers in rural communities would be "sitting ducks" in the event of a terror attack. | Two years ago, police warned that "unarmed and vulnerable" officers in rural communities would be "sitting ducks" in the event of a terror attack. |
Since then, huge investment and effort has gone into improving armed police capacity and capability, as the latest announcement shows - but gaps remain. | Since then, huge investment and effort has gone into improving armed police capacity and capability, as the latest announcement shows - but gaps remain. |
Armed response vehicles (ARVs), which are intended to be first on the scene of a firearms incident, are an expensive asset, with 13 officers required to double-crew a vehicle 24 hours a day, seven days a week. | Armed response vehicles (ARVs), which are intended to be first on the scene of a firearms incident, are an expensive asset, with 13 officers required to double-crew a vehicle 24 hours a day, seven days a week. |
That's why police chiefs are looking at alternatives to deploying ARVs in areas where there's a low risk of a terror attack, such as allowing front-line officers to carry guns. | That's why police chiefs are looking at alternatives to deploying ARVs in areas where there's a low risk of a terror attack, such as allowing front-line officers to carry guns. |
It goes against the grain of British policing for officers to be routinely armed, but there's increasing support for it among those polled in a Federation survey and it remains firmly on the table as an option. | It goes against the grain of British policing for officers to be routinely armed, but there's increasing support for it among those polled in a Federation survey and it remains firmly on the table as an option. |
Simon Chesterman, National Police Chiefs' Council lead for armed policing, said: "Of course there are communities within England and Wales where an attack is highly unlikely. | Simon Chesterman, National Police Chiefs' Council lead for armed policing, said: "Of course there are communities within England and Wales where an attack is highly unlikely. |
"But ultimately, if something does happen, we have got to be able to provide an armed response." | "But ultimately, if something does happen, we have got to be able to provide an armed response." |
Mr Chesterman said the training and demands of being a CTSFO meant there was a high turnover rate, and some officers were put off by the level of scrutiny that police face when police open fire in the line of duty. | Mr Chesterman said the training and demands of being a CTSFO meant there was a high turnover rate, and some officers were put off by the level of scrutiny that police face when police open fire in the line of duty. |
He explained that police chiefs had conducted "many layers of the analysis... to understand where is best to place these officers". | |
"We can't put an armed police officer on every street corner everywhere across the whole of the United Kingdom, so what we've had to do is analyse the threat." | "We can't put an armed police officer on every street corner everywhere across the whole of the United Kingdom, so what we've had to do is analyse the threat." |
He said discussions were ongoing in a "handful" of police forces over how to improve response times - and whether some form of routine arming might be appropriate. | |
Mr Chesterman was clear that arming rural police forces "does not need to happen at the moment". | Mr Chesterman was clear that arming rural police forces "does not need to happen at the moment". |
"This is not, if you like, a favoured option," he told the BBC's Danny Shaw. | "This is not, if you like, a favoured option," he told the BBC's Danny Shaw. |
"But I can't rule it out at this stage, in terms of making sure that all communities get the right level of protection from armed police." | "But I can't rule it out at this stage, in terms of making sure that all communities get the right level of protection from armed police." |
Around 90% of British police officers are currently unarmed. | |
Any decision on arming officers is a matter for the chief constable of each of the 43 local forces covering England and Wales, as well as the national British Transport Police. |