British Policing (catch all)

[davidbfpo]

To hear 'Officers short, officers shot, get an ambulance' when you are a leader is hard.

On 18 September 2012, Constables Nicola Hughes and Fiona Bone, two Greater Manchester Police officers, were killed by Dale Cregan in a gun (32 shots) and grenade attack while responding to a report of a burglary in Greater Manchester, England. The incident was the first in Great Britain in which two female police officers were killed on duty.

Link:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_...and_Fiona_Bone

This week the officers local commander, Chief Superintendent Nick Adderley, spoke at the annual Police Federation conference (for US readers similar to the PBA and not a trade union) for just less than fifty minutes on what happened that day and what lessons he learnt, as a professional leader.

It is hard in places, when he asks 'Did I do enough as commander?' It is a painful and positive legacy - with some staff still affected. 'There is no blueprint' for afterwards; noteworthy as he had ten years Army service and twenty-two years as a police officer.

Quite a lot there to absorb. There's plenty of humour, a little "blue" language, sadness and pride. Yes it is a British situation, responding to this situation is sadly (almost) universal.

Updated June 2015 the cited video is no longer readily found. This is the most comprehensive account I can find now:http://www.policemag.co.uk/editions/..._quitting.aspx

[davidbfpo]

Today's Home Office evidencce-based report concludes that tough drug enforcement does not decrease use of illegal drugs and one reviewer has remarked:

It is the most significant report on drugs the British government has published for 40 years.

Drugs policy is not my area of interest, but I noted the references to the long term reduction internationally in drug use. The same reviewer adds

No-one is entirely sure why the decline is happening, although it is thought it could be linked to the decreasing popularity of smoking. Cannabis makes up the lion's share of illicit drug use and some experts believe the drug has declined in popularity, like tobacco, because smoking itself is increasingly seen as unfashionable. As cannabis rates fall, they drag down general drug use rates.

Link to report, 59 pgs:https://www.gov.uk/government/upload...omparators.pdf

The cited review:http://www.politics.co.uk/blogs/2014...es-not-lower-d

The BBC:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-29824764

Now whether this report has any impact is unclear. Very few were in the House of Commons today for a debate, although several Conservatives spoke in favour of reform.

[davidbfpo]

Police officers whether British or not have often been the target of 'lone wolves' and planned terrorist attacks. It has become a "hot" topic within the police here as rumour, press reports and some obscure internal warnings cause concern:http://retiredandangry.wordpress.com...y-chris-hobbs/

An ex-London officer has written a column, it opens with:

Circulating on the police grapevine are alarming accounts which suggest that both police officers and PCSO’s have been recently subject to ‘hostile reconnaissance’ in the vicinity of police stations when off duty travelling to or from work.
Police have every reason to be anxious: Just last month five men were arrested in conjunction with a plot that featured Shepherds Bush Police Station in West London. Images of two police officers and two PCSO’s were recovered during that investigation.

The author has some good thoughts on 'protect the protectors'. I wonder if any police leader will respond.

[davidbfpo]

After the murders in Paris, the fear others remain at large in France; the raids in Berlin and yesterday's raids, with two dead Jihadists in Belguim - the UK police have started a review regarding the safety of the Jewish community and police officers:

....in light of the attacks in Paris last week, we have been reviewing, alongside our partners, our overall security posture. This is a further step in a process over a number of years of learning lessons from such events. For example, since the attack in Mumbai in 2008, we have enhanced our ability to respond effectively to a marauding terrorist attack by expanding our specialist firearms capability and improving the effectiveness of the response and joint working of all the emergency services. More generally we have continued to refine our plans and to enhance our capabilities to respond to a terrorist threat which has evolved and diversified.

(Later) We are also considering what further measures we might put in place to enhance the security of police officers, given some of the deliberate targeting of the police we have seen in a number of countries across Europe and the world. Chief Constables across the country are reviewing how to strengthen the protection of their officers from such attacks. Our men and women on the frontline are used to confronting risk and danger and are well-trained in how to protect the public and themselves.

Link:http://news.acpo.police.uk/releases/...MKd72V.twitter

So no more - via a media Tweet - single officer patrolling.

[davidbfpo]

An update on the alleged plot by aspiring Jihadists to attack the police in London, after a court appearance yesterday and a trail date set in June:

Five British terror suspects are to face a 10-week trial on charges of plotting an Islamic State-inspired attack on police officers or soldiers in London. The men are accused of obtaining a handgun and silencer to carry out the atrocity, possibly in a drive-by shooting, which was allegedly planned during covert discussions last year. The five, all from London, are also said to have sworn allegiance to Islamic State and carried out “hostile reconnaisance” on Shepherd’s Bush police station and White City army reserve barracks in London, using Google Street View.

Link:http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2...lice-soldiers?

[davidbfpo]

The national police representative body and not a union, known here as the Police Federation has called for

All police officers should be armed with Taser stun guns in light of the heightened security threat, according to the head of the body that represents front-line police officers.

Link:http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk...-10015314.html

Only 3% of police officers in England & Wales are firearms trained, the remainder rely on a baton (various types), CS spray or PAVA peper spray when force is required.

In an online poll by the Police Federation just under 90% want Taser issued.

Taser has been in use here for around ten years, at times it has been controversial, not just when eight people died. A small number of Tasers are deployed today, probably less than 5% of officers carry them.

Taser clearly is not a response to jihadists with firearms, but to date aspiring jihadists have had remarkable little success in acquiring working firearms and ammo. The more likely threat is from bladed weapons, as it was in Nice, France last week.

Locally the West Midlands Police's Chief Constable has rejected the issue of Taser for all operational officers, saying it does not fit the British model of un-armed, minimum force policing. Time will tell.

[Firn]

I fear that any police officer on duty, especially those guarding or patrolling on food are potential 'sitting ducks' be they armed with handguns, tasers or potentially rifles

The assailant “lunged violently” at one soldier’s face, slashing his cheek, and stabbed another in the arm, a police source said. He was arrested while attempting to flee thanks to the intervention of two nearby tram workers, and a local shopkeeper. The soldiers’ injuries were described as not serious.
The military personnel were on patrol in front of the Jewish centre as part of heightened security measures following the Paris terror attacks last month.

Deadly attacks on police officers are thankfully extremely rare in Europe, especially those with rifles. IIRC the bloodiest incident of that sort happened peaceful Austria by a local hunter turned poacher and not by jihadist returned from Syria. Btw he used a a suppressed assault rifle, possibly stolen from the Austrian Army to murder the officers and the emergency worker. As said before thankfully such events are very rare, just like those Paris-style attacks as the victims stand little chance.

P.S:

Am 13. August 2014 wurde bekannt, dass das im Lassingbach gefundene StG 77 aus den Bestaenden des Bundesheeres stammt. Die ausrangierte Waffe hätte eigentlich vernichtet werden sollen. Wie das Sturmgewehr in die Haende von Alois H. gelangt war, blieb offen und soll auch nicht mehr erhoben werden. Der Privatbesitz ist verboten.

. So was an ex-army rifle, which should have been destroyed.

[davidbfpo]

British policing is having an exceptionally hard time, mainly due to a 20% budget cut since 2010 and another bout is expected to be announced tomorrow - even after the Paris attacks.

The link is to a blogsite that sums up the situation well:https://arrestingconversations.wordp...afety-at-risk/

[davidbfpo]

The British Police Service have always had an official set of documents on armed policing. I had missed a good part of those policies are now in the public domain; in a document from the College of Policing and known as APP (Authorised Professional Practice):http://www.app.college.police.uk/app...rmed-policing/
From the introduction:

This module provides:

• guidance on the appropriate issue and use of firearms and related less lethal options within the police service.
• a basis for the training of all relevant police staff in matters relating to the operational use of firearms. This includes command issues at strategic, tactical and operational levels.
• guidance on command structures, tactical options and operational issues associated with the deployment of Authorised Firearms Officers

A significant contributor to the APP is Simon Chesterman, his slim bio states:

Simon Chesterman QPM has been in the police service for 33 years. He is currently the Deputy Chief Constable of the Civil Nuclear Constabulary. He is a firearms commander and part of the national counter terrorist command cadre, and has been the National Police Chief's Council lead for armed policing for approaching nine years.

He has written an article 'The police we need: Armed police officers and the use of lethal force', currently available to view on a small website, after free registration on ' an e-newsletter 'Policing Insight' (not run by the police service):https://policinginsight.com/opinion/...-lethal-force/
Post 15 on the main UK Policing thread refers to the latest developments in London, a vote by serving officers on whether to be armed:http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/...ad.php?t=21459
A previous APP on Undercover Policing had 4,489 views:http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/...ad.php?t=24129