London's Armed Police: Up Close and Personal

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Not long later on, I found myself on crowd control outside the Iranian Embassy in 1980, when it was stormed by the SAS and from that moment, I set a path in my police career that would eventually see me working on the Met's Specialist Firearms Unit (now SCO19) from 1991 through to retirement in 2013.

They may also fire if an offender is clearly in possession of a firearm, or is suspected to be carrying one.

This is due to them potentially having to storm buildings, planes, boats and trains, all while potentially moving. Only three forces in the United Kingdom routinely arm officers due to the nature of their work; the Ministry of Defence Police who are responsible law enforcement on MOD property, the Civil Nuclear Constabulary who guard civil nuclear facilities, and the Police Service of Northern Ireland. Hale Publishing, 2013) Stephen Smith recently featured on Channel 5, in the four-part documentary series Armed and Dangerous and previously HBO's Secrets of New Scotland Yard. As with all use of force in England and Wales, the onus is on the individual officer to justify their actions in court. A revolver could only be issued if, in the opinion of the senior officer, the officer could be trusted to use it safely and with discretion.

SCO19 has seven CTSFO teams, each made up of one sergeant and fifteen constables working in seven-week shifts. Stephen Smith, a veteran of over a thousand armed operations during his twenty-two years with the Metropolitan Police specialist firearms command, was born in south London in 1960.The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged.

Trained in Explosive method of entry (EMOE) and tactical insertions from helicopters to name a few new tactics they use. They are concerned that it signals a shift in the way the decisions they take in the most challenging circumstances will be judged. Come on a journey with veteran firearms officer, Stephen Smith as he goes behind the scenes of the Met’s Specialist Firearms Unit, SCO19. We do not relish the images of heavily armed police officers, the unease that they put into our minds, and their obvious distance from the community policing we appreciate so much. Instead of wearing the standard issue stab vest, AFOs and SFOs wear a ballistic vest which affords greater protection from gun shots.Officers need sufficient legal protection to enable them to do their job and keep the public safe, and the confidence that it will be applied consistently and without fear or favor. Others are declining to go out on regular armed patrol and have remained at their stations while others said they will respond only in emergency situations.

Before a major reconstruction of the rules regarding operational use of firearms, high-ranking officers such as Chief Inspectors or Superintendents could authorise firearms officers to draw weapons from an Armed Response Vehicle (ARV), in the event of an "immediate threat to life". When you choose to create a user account and follow a newsroom your personal data will be used by us and the owner of the newsroom, for you to receive news and updates according to your subscription settings. I saw the changes in using specialist vehicles and motorcycles in armed operations along with advanced first aid, not only for victims of crime but also for suspects shot by police.It covers more subjects than I can count, ranging from the selection, training, equipment, operational history etc to daunting details of the officers accounts/experiences behind the guns when firing at a suspect and the aftermath of such an action. Through his unique access to CO19, Smith has managed to put together hundreds of detailed photographs, both historical and contemporary, along with text that goes a long way to explain why it is necessary to have such an elite firearms unit on standby 24/7 in London. However, there is no arrogance or patronising manner especially as it takes a special sort of person who runs towards danger as everyone else is backing away. There is a concern on the part of firearms officers that even if they stick to the tactics and training they have been given, they will face years of protracted legal proceedings which impact on their personal wellbeing and that of their family,” Rowley said. We no longer require mutual aid officers to assist in London, and we are grateful to our police colleagues who offered us their support.