Nick Andrews www.police-recruitment.co.uk
Police officers in the United Kingdom aren’t allowed to carry firearms on ordinary circumstances. This law dates back from the formation of the Metropolitan Police Service where police weren’t supposed to be armed in order not to cause public fear of authority and sometimes abuse of powers. In the UK, only the British Armed Forces- especially the military- are allowed to carry firearms. However, these instances are very seldom and only happen on special occasions and dangerous and critical national matters.
This notion has been an on-going debate up until today as weapons can only be used as a sign of authority and threat and not to end somebody’s life. However, there are certain circumstances where they come in useful especially on critical and very dangerous matters where a criminal is the one threating the officers’ or its victim/s’ lives. The UK Police has been firm with their law where day-to-day patrolling police officers cannot carry firearms but they have self-defence equipment that may cause threat and impose authority to those who break the law. Examples of these are the baton, hand or leg restraints and even electric tasers for stubborn criminals that impose severe violence upon them. Possession of tasers in the UK without special training and a police badge is punishable by law. Hence, the usage of such weapons by the police went through a long debate before it was considered a “less lethal” weapon that can disarm an arrested person in times of great need.
The no firearms regulation in the UK Police is followed by all the patrolling officers. They cannot roam around their areas of responsibility with a single firearm on ordinary days. But when it comes to emergencies and instances of terrorism or severe crimes, a specially trained body of the UK Police named Authorised Firearms Officers (AFO) are allowed to carry firearms on endangered premises.
The UK Police firearms are separated into two categories. The Standard Weapons handled by the Authorised Firearms Officers and the Specialist Weapons handled by the Specialist Firearms Officers. Standard weapons are comprised of pistols and semi-automatic carbines. The UK Police is very meticulous and uniformed in choosing their firearms as their main goal is always self-defence and there should be no intention of taking one’s life intentionally even if they have done the law wrong except on the most crucial matters where more lives are at stake.
The UK Police especially the Metropolitan Police Service prefer Glock 17 and Glock 26 pistols. These pistols are commonly referred to as Glock “Safe Action” pistols and are designed and manufactured by Glock Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung (Ges.m.b.H.), located in Deutsch-Wagram, Austria. Other manufacturers of the UK Police’s pistols are the Sig Sauer that produces Sig Sauer P226 and Walther that manufactures Walther P99 which is commonly used in the Nottinghamshire Constabulary. Semi-automatic carbines on the other hand are usually used in more extensive police operations. Some carbines that are used by the force are ones from Heckler and Koch, and Steyr AUG.
Moving on to the specialists weapons, this classification of firearms is for the highly trained police officers, usually hired by the Secret Service. Weapons include tear gases or L1A1 irritant chemical launchers and shotguns for door breaching and of course, snipers where only trained sharp shooters are allowed to use. Specialist Firearms Officers are commonly called on duty when it affects national matters for security and terrorism where the main goal is to guard the government especially the Prime Minister and the Royal Family.
