Law enforcement in the United Kingdom

Crime in the UK · Terrorism in the UK

Topics

Agencies (defunct) · Firearms use · History · Ranks · Table of police forces

Equipment

Aviation · Firearms list · Uniform and equipment · Vehicles

Types of agency

Territorial police forces · Special police forces · Port police · Park police (London) · Service police · Non-police · Other

Types of agent

Accredited Person · Bailiff · Civil enforcement officer · Constable · Court security officer · Customs officer · Traffic officer · Immigration officer · Police Community Support Officer · Police Custody and Security Officer · Tipstaff · Traffic warden · Water bailiff · Wildlife inspector

Concepts

Chief police officer · Home Office · Police area · Police authority · Police cadets · Police Federation of England and Wales · Scottish Police Federation · Stop, search, detention and arrest powers · Police Oath · Scotland Yard · Warrant card

Acts

Police Act 1964 · Police (Scotland) Act 1967 · Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 · Police Act 1996 · Police Reform Act 2002 · Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 ·

Law · Courts · Prisons

v • d • e

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2009)

Within the British Police, officers are not routinely armed.^[1] Instead, they rely on specially trained Authorised Firearms Officers (AFO), crewing Armed Response Vehicles to attend emergency calls where firearms might be needed. Specialist Firearms Officers are usually trained to a higher standard than an AFO, because they are likely to be the officers required to enter besieged premises. The vast majority of firearms used by the British Police are semi-automatic.

Police use of force regarding firearms is dictated by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO). Engagement rules in most circumstances state that the officer is to aim for the central mass in order to increase accuracy and to effectively incapacitate. The aim of doing this is to incapacitate the person, regardless of the risk of death or injury to the target.^[2]. Under Operation Kratos contingency plans which were activated after the 2005 London Bombings allowed officers to aim for the head, due to the risk of detonating explosives around the central mass of a suspected suicide bomber.

Contents 1 Standard weapons (AFO) 2 Specialist weapons (SFO) 3 Non-Home office police firearms 4 Heavier weapons 5 References

[edit] Standard weapons (AFO)

Firearms in service vary between police forces in the UK, due to individual Chief Constables and Police Authorities dictating the number of firearms officers and police firearms available to each force.

Despite being armed, Authorised Firearms Officers still carry the standard issue telescopic baton, CS/PAVA incapacitant spray and Hiatts Speedcuffs. However, instead of wearing a stab-resistant vest they wear a ballistic one. In some circumstances firearms officers carry a mobile phone and two radios, one for the standard police Airwave system, and the other to solely communicate with other firearms officers.

Specialist Firearms Officers usually wear fire retardant overalls, along with the ballistic vest and in some cases a police variant of the S10 Respirator.

The following firearms are commonly issued to Authorised Firearms Officers.

• German Heckler & Koch MP5 (Submachine gun, fitted with Red dot sight)^[3][4]
• Austrian Steyr AUG (Semi-automatic carbine, used by some forces instead of the MP5)^[4]
• German Heckler & Koch G36C (semi-automatic carbine)^[5]
• Austrian Glock 17 (pistol)^[6][4]
• Swiss/German Sig Sauer P226 (pistol)^[3][4]
• German Walther P99 (in use with Nottinghamshire Constabulary)
• German Heckler & Koch USP
• German Heckler & Koch L104A1 "baton gun" (less lethal option, fires rubber bullets)^[3][4]
• American X26 Taser^[6][4]

[edit] Specialist weapons (SFO)

In some circumstances, fully automatic firearms can be authorised for use^{[citation needed]}. The following have in the past been on issue to Specialist Firearms Officers.

• American Remington 870 (Pump-action shotgun, used for door breaching)^[4]
• German Heckler & Koch PSG1 (sniper rifle)^[4]
• German Heckler & Koch G3KA4 (battle rifle, used in sniping roles)^[4]
• German Heckler & Koch MSG-90 (sniper rifle)^[4]
• American Riflecraft TMR1 (sniper rifle)^[4]
• German Heckler & Koch MP5K (semi-automatic PDW)^[4]
• German Heckler & Koch 93 (sniper rifle)^[4]
• German Heckler & Koch MP5SD2 (Submachine gun, fitted with an integral suppressor)^[4]
• British L1A1 irritant chemical launcher (launches projectiles of irritant substances such as CS gas or PAVA)^[4]

[edit] Non-Home office police firearms

• German Heckler & Koch MP7 (PDW) - In service with the Ministry of Defence Police
• British SA80 (assault rifle) - In limited use with the Ministry of Defence Police
• BelgianBrowning HP L9A1 (pistol) - Ministry of Defence Police

[edit] Heavier weapons

The Civil Nuclear Constabulary use a range of heavier weapons up to automatic cannon of 30mm calibre^[7] deployed on the ships of Pacific Nuclear Transport Limited, which transport spent nuclear fuel and reprocessed uranium on behalf of BNFL.^[8]

[edit] References