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117-463: The number of firearms legally available to criminals is low due to the United Kingdom's gun laws requiring licensing and background checks to legally acquire and possess most types of firearms. In the majority of cases, the presence of an armed officer can often be enough to negotiate the surrender of an armed criminal and the number of times a police firearm is deliberately discharged at suspects in

234-637: A PASGT style ballistic helmet , rather than a peaked cap or custodian helmet . Firearms issued to the police are adapted so that they can only fire semi-automatic . Specialist police firearm units are present in foreign Law enforcement agencies in which firearms are routinely carried by officers. These units are provided with increased firepower, more equipment and training than regular officers. Foreign firearms units are not intended to deal with routine firearms incidents, as they are attended to by officers who routinely carry firearms. Such units are normally only called upon when firearms incidents are of such

351-544: A psychological profiler to assess the hostage takers state of mind, such as whether they have been forced into the situation through avoiding arrest or have a wider objective. If negotiations deteriorate to a point where hostages are placed at risk of immediate death or injury, an assault by SFOs may be authorised. In a minority of cases, the police may hand over responsibility to the British Army Special Forces . The structure of police assault teams vary, but

468-464: A 12-month trial period in 2004, tasers became authorised on a full-time basis. Firearms units in large forces are headed by a chief superintendent , superintendent , four chief inspectors , three inspectors and six sergeants , with up to fifty to sixty constables . In certain smaller forces, the firearms unit is headed by a superintendent, four chief inspectors, two inspectors, four sergeants, with forty to fifty constables. Firearms units maintain

585-430: A bomb attached to the person. In all situations, the officer is to make the decision when to shoot. However, they are accountable in court and are asked to justify their actions in a court of law . Upon an emergency call being received about an incident involving firearms, an Armed Response Vehicle crewed by AFOs would be dispatched. The AFOs first on scene would attempt to contain an armed subject if they are inside

702-435: A building, whereas if they were in the open where an immediate threat is posed a quicker solution would be sought. If a subject is inside a building which is barricaded, AFOs would most likely assault the building as long as it does not require specialist entry or the motive of the subject is terrorist affiliated. If the building required specialist entry or a terrorist gain, specialist firearms officers would attempt to assault

819-472: A certificate and may be acquired, purchased and possessed by anyone over the age of 18 who is not a prohibited person as specified in section 21 of the Act, which relates to persons previously convicted of a crime. The Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 controls online or mail-order sales of airguns by way of trade or business; transactions must be finalised face-to-face, although the contract of sale may take place at

936-482: A certificate holder may possess is determined by certificate conditions on a per-calibre basis. Shotgun cartridges are not restricted by certificate conditions and a shotgun certificate holder may acquire and possess as many as they like. Due to their bulky nature, normal shotgun cartridges are not subject to the same secure storage requirements as section 1 ammunition. Solid slugs or cartridges containing fewer than 5 projectiles are considered section 1 and must be held on

1053-493: A circular yellow sticker on the body of the vehicle, and some have "ARV" printed on the vehicle. Metropolitan Police firearms officers usually patrol on-foot more often than those outside London, due to the large geographic area the Metropolitan Police are responsible for and the number of sensitive government buildings in need of armed security. They can also be found at major demonstrations, and large social events such as

1170-502: A concealed wheellock pistol, Queen Elizabeth I , fearing assassination by Roman Catholics, banned possession of wheellock pistols in England near a royal palace in 1594. There were growing concerns in the 16th century over the use of guns and crossbows. Four acts were imposed to restrict their use in England and Wales. The 1662 Act 14 Cha 2 c. 3, entitled An Act for ordering the Forces in

1287-513: A consultation was launched to investigate proposals for licensing air weapons in Scotland . The Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Justice foreword in the consultation paper (titled Proposals for Licensing Air Weapons in Scotland ) stated that the Scottish government "[does] not intend to ban air weapons outright, but [does] not think that it is appropriate in our modern Scotland that there can be up to half

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1404-500: A distance. The airgun may be sent by the seller to a registered firearms dealer (who will act as the seller's agent in the sale) from whom the gun may be collected by the purchaser. The same Act introduced the requirement that a person selling airguns or ammunition for airguns by way of trade or business be a registered firearms dealer. It is not an offence for a private individual to sell an airgun to another person as long as both parties are not legally barred from possessing airguns and

1521-498: A face-to-face interview by a firearms enquiry officer (FEO), also known as a firearms liaison officer (FLO). Only when all these stages have been satisfactorily completed will a licence be issued, which must be renewed every 5 years. Any person who has been sentenced to between three months and three years in prison is automatically prohibited from possessing firearms (including airguns) and ammunition for five years from release. A person who has been sentenced to more than three years

1638-405: A firearm certificate, justification must be provided to the police for each firearm, and they are individually listed on the certificate by type, calibre, and serial number. A shotgun certificate similarly lists type, calibre and serial number, but permits possession of as many shotguns as can be safely accommodated. To gain permission for a new firearm, a "variation" must be sought, for a fee, unless

1755-402: A firearm certificate, the police must be satisfied that a person has "good reason" to own each firearm, and that they can be trusted with it "without danger to the public safety or to the peace". Under Home Office guidelines, firearm certificates are only issued if a person has legitimate sporting, collecting, or work-related reasons for ownership. Since 1968, self-defence has not been considered

1872-473: A firearm certificate. Section 57 of the Firearms Act 1968 defines a firearm as: Ammunition for firearms may only be possessed by the holder of a firearm certificate with authority to possess that type of ammunition. Shotgun cartridges can legally be possessed by anybody over the age of 15. No licence is required to possess such ammunition so long as the cartridges contain 5 or more shots. The Senedd and

1989-720: A firearm certificate. This includes single-shot; bolt-action; Martini-action ; lever-action (also called under-lever action); and revolver rifles in any calibre. Self-loading and pump-action rifles are only permitted in .22 rimfire calibre. The 1997 Acts (see below) do not ban pistols as such and are drafted in terms of "short firearms". These acts prohibit firearms with a barrel shorter than 30 cm (12 in) or an overall length less than 60 cm (24 in) In practice this includes most pistols and revolvers. Only muzzle-loading pistols (including muzzle-loading revolvers) are explicitly exempted. Small quantities of muzzle-loading pistols and revolvers in various calibres which comply with

2106-421: A firearm includes both pointing it at a person and discharging it (whether accidentally , negligently or on purpose). As with all use of force in England and Wales, the onus is on the individual officer to justify their actions in court. Certain police forces that have high gun crime rates have set up an FIU to gather intelligence on gun crime, or certain parts of the community it may affect. Possibly one of

2223-573: A firearm. It is recommended that firearms dealers selling firearms are to instruct new buyers, and those changing/acquiring another firearm, about the safety procedures for that firearm. Firearm certificate holders in Northern Ireland may transport their firearms (except handguns) to Great Britain and possess those firearms while in Great Britain due to reciprocal firearms certificate licensing arrangements. Firearms certificate holders are limited to

2340-446: A firearms certificate. Northern Ireland has one firearms certificate and all firearms are listed on that certificate irrespective of type. All firearms owners in Northern Ireland are required to apply for a firearm certificate to possess firearms. Permits are issued to anyone who has good reason to possess firearms, such as target shooting and hunting. All firearms certificate holders are required to demonstrate they can be entrusted with

2457-446: A less rigorous certification process than for the full FAC; an applicant is not required by law to make a good case for being granted a certificate, but the police may withhold a certificate if they consider that the applicant does not have satisfactory security in place, or granting it would constitute a danger to public safety or to the peace. A certificate holder may possess as many shotguns as can be securely stored. When applying for

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2574-674: A locked armoury which is situated in the boot of an Armed Response Vehicle. Equipping of semi-automatic carbines rests on a judgment of the AFO. United Kingdom law allows the use of "reasonable force" in order to make an arrest or prevent a crime or to defend one's self. However, if the force used is fatal, then the European Convention of Human Rights only allows "the use of force which is no more than absolutely necessary". Firearms officers may therefore only discharge their weapons "to stop an imminent threat to life". ACPO policy states that "use" of

2691-462: A locked box, with rules of their use attached to the front of it. The key to the box was held by a senior officer, whose permission had to be sought before the box could be opened. Rules of their use dictated that if the revolvers were to be issued, the names of the officers who they were allocated to be recorded, and they be checked of their condition and loaded by the section sergeant when the officers paraded for duty. In 1948, concerns were aired by

2808-535: A million unregistered, uncontrolled and often forgotten firearms in circulation". It stated an aim to "ensure that only those people with a legitimate reason for owning and using an airgun should have access to them in the future, and that they are properly licensed and accounted for". In 2011/12 there were 195 offences involving air weapons in Scotland, compared to 3,554 in England and Wales. The consultation closed in March 2013 with 1,101 responses, 87% of which were opposed to

2925-601: A nature, that they require specialist intervention whereas the firearms units within the United Kingdom respond to all firearms related incidents, as UK police (with the exception of Northern Ireland) are not routinely armed. The New Zealand Police had a similar policy to the UK of no routine carriage of firearms by officers and established Armed Offenders Squads around their country to respond to firearms incidents. However, New Zealand police officers whilst still not carrying firearms are now being provided with ready access and training that

3042-457: A non-detachable magazine (if present). There is no limit on the number of guns or amount of ammunition that a shotgun certificate holder can acquire or possess at one time, although each shotgun must be recorded on the certificates. Cartridges obtained using a shotgun certificate must have at least 5 projectiles each with a maximum size of 0.36 in (9.1 mm). Other types of shotgun ammunition such as solid slugs can only be bought following

3159-639: A number of tactical advisors to aid senior officers in decision making during major incidents, and to provide a planning capability for planned firearms operations and VIP protection. The main responsibilities of firearms units in the UK are the response to emergency calls believed to involve firearms, and the arrest of armed, dangerous or barricaded criminals in official raids and operations. Specialist firearms officers receive enhanced training in dynamic entry tactics, for hostage rescue . Each police force operates an Armed Response Vehicle system, crewed by authorised firearms officers . ARVs were introduced into

3276-418: A prohibited category cannot be made legal by conversion to an otherwise permitted form. For example, a pistol which is adapted by permanently fitting a 60-centimetre (24 in) long smooth-bore barrel to it does not thereby become permitted. UK law does not provide a statutory definition for a "rifle". Most long firearms with rifled barrels will – by default – be classified as Section 1, and can be held on

3393-465: A restrictive nature as would amount to a constructive refusal to grant the certificate by making use so unlikely as to be practically impossible. Failure to comply with any of these conditions can result in criminal prosecution resulting in a prison sentence of up to six months. Revocation of the certificate is also possible, depending upon the nature of the breach. A visitor's permit is available for possession of firearms without certificate by visitors to

3510-428: A safe bolted to the floor or wall that complies to the standard BS 7558:1992. These storage arrangements are checked by the police before a licence is first granted, and on every renewal of the licence. In the case of a firearm certificate the issuing police force may impose additional conditions over and above the statutory ones. However any condition appended to a certificate must be reasonable and must not be of such

3627-402: A siege or hostage situation, an observation point is allocated and assigned a marksman . A deliberate action plan would be devised, briefing each member of the assault team on the entry points, and details of the assault. Negotiations are made allowing the hostage takers to issue demands, which are usually done to acquire time and avoid harm to the hostages. The negotiations would be attended by

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3744-413: A specified task - an advanced driver , a navigator and an observer who is responsible for scene assessment and liaison with other services. ARVs outside of the capital are crewed by two officers, with the observer assuming the role of navigator. Some forces have reserved a radio call sign for ARVs, such as "trojan" to make them easier to identify when using radios . ARVs in most forces are identified by

3861-434: A valid reason to own a firearm. The current licensing procedure involves: positive verification of identity, two referees of verifiable good character who have known the applicant for at least two years (and who may themselves be interviewed and/or investigated as part of the certification), approval of the application by the applicant's own family doctor, an inspection of the premises and cabinet where firearms will be kept and

3978-460: Is PSNI Firearms Branch policy in line with EU Directive 2021/555 on control of the acquisition and possession of weapons . PSNI Firearms Branch are to clarify exactly how this will take place. A firearm certificate for a personal protection weapon will only be authorised where the Police Service of Northern Ireland deems there is a "verifiable specific risk" to the life of an individual and that

4095-408: Is believed to be intent on committing a suicide bombing. All officers are trained to fire once at the central mass in order to incapacitate a threat, then to re-assess the situation and the threat posed to justify any further shots. However, if Operation Kratos contingency plans are activated, an armed officer may shoot at the target's head, to kill, as a standard incapacitating shot risks detonating

4212-556: Is currently no limit on magazine capacity for rifles or handguns. Shotguns are limited to a magazine capacity of 2 cartridges for field use. The shotgun capacity can be increased, upon application to the PSNI firearms branch, for target shooting use. Magazines are considered a component part in Northern Ireland and a firearms certificate holder may only possess magazines for firearms listed on their certificate. As of 2021, all magazines are required to be listed on firearms certificates. This measure

4329-518: Is diminishing the role of the Squads. Examples of tactical units include Ireland 's Garda Emergency Response Unit and Australian Police Tactical Groups . The United States has tactical units referred to commonly as Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) units. Gun politics in the United Kingdom In the United Kingdom, gun ownership is considered a privilege, not a right, and access by

4446-480: Is prohibited for life. Application may be made to a court to reverse these prohibitions and this is likely to be successful in relation to convictions for crimes which do not relate to a person's fitness to possess firearms. Similarly, persons applying for licences with recent, serious mental health issues will also be refused a certificate. Any person holding a firearm or shotgun certificate must comply with strict storage conditions by storing their firearms/shotguns in

4563-449: Is suspected to be carrying one. In all situations, a clear oral warning must be given of the officer's intention to use firearms, unless in a particular situation where it would be pointless or place life at risk. Firearms officers are also authorized to use their firearms for the humane destruction of animals, if the latter pose a significant threat. Firearms officers are not required to give an oral warning if they are approaching someone who

4680-621: Is within twelve miles (19 km) of, or of which no part is more than fifteen miles (24 km) from, Charing Cross". [REDACTED] The map shows the MPD boundary in red. At the centre is the area of the Metropolitan Board of Works 1855–1889, which became the County of London in 1889. The other dashed lines show the boundaries of Essex (containing Loughton), Kent , Surrey , Middlesex , and Hertfordshire (going clockwise). The enlargement under

4797-568: The 2002 Commonwealth Games . This exemption only applied to the Games period and Home Nation pistol shooters had to train abroad prior to the Games. Ahead of the 2012 Olympic Games , Tessa Jowell (Minister for the Olympics) and the Home Secretary agreed to use Home Office powers to issue a small number of Section 5 permits to elite pistol shooters nominated by British Shooting . With Glasgow winning

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4914-527: The Association of Chief Police Officers . The difficulty of this authorisation was realised, as desired officers were not always available. The decision to draw firearms from the secure cabinet in the rear of the ARV now rests upon the individual judgement of the firearms officer, with personal side arms being carried on each member as a matter of routine. For planned operations, a designated senior officer can authorise

5031-569: The British police in the early 1990s, to provide them with the capability to respond to firearms incidents. ARVs constantly patrol a geographical area, reducing deployment time. Most forces have purchased Volvo V70s for ARV duties, although the Metropolitan Police Service employs standard BMW area cars, adapted for specialist duty usage. The new 'standard' vehicle for ARV use, as of 2012, favored by most forces and soon to be adopted by

5148-797: The Chinese New Year . Diplomatic Protection Group officers are routinely armed as they are responsible for guarding government buildings classed as "high risk", such as foreign embassies, Downing Street , along with Westminster and Buckingham Palace . If a police forces geographical area includes an airport , armed officers would be assigned to the airport to assist in security. The Metropolitan Police's Aviation Security Operational Command Unit polices London Heathrow Airport , Sussex Police are responsible for Gatwick Airport , and Essex Police are responsible for Stansted Airport . In some forces major crime or specialist operational units have firearms capacities. The Metropolitan Police Service has

5265-737: The Greater London Parks & Open Spaces Act 1967 and the Epping Forest Act 1878 respectively not under the Police Acts as members of the City of London Police). The London Underground and the lines and stations of the national railway network within the MPD are primarily policed by the British Transport Police but are not excluded from the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan Police. The Royal Parks of London used to be policed by

5382-563: The Home Office announced plans to supply police forces in England & Wales with tasers as a Less-lethal option. Tasers are authorised for use in situations where an offender needs to be incapacitated, but without resorting to the use of conventional firearms. Tasers are authorised for use by Authorised and specialist firearms officers , along with other units who are not routinely armed such as public order Police Support Units . Following

5499-469: The Home Office over the civil police's role if there were to be another war, invasion or the newly posed threat of nuclear attack . The government dictated that the role of the police would still be to maintain law and order, even in times of emergency. However, despite the police not being a combatant force, in the event of war they were to have an offensive capability assisting the Armed Forces . It

5616-711: The Royal Parks Constabulary (RPC) whose powers derived from the Parks Regulation Act 1872 . The Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 abolished the RPC in England and Wales and provided for the transfer of personnel within Greater London into the Metropolitan Police, leaving the Royal Parks within the general jurisdiction of the Metropolitan Police. The Ministry of Defence Police is responsible for policing

5733-539: The Scottish Parliament cannot legislate on firearms. Firearms regulation is reserved to Westminster, with the exception in Scotland of air guns since 2012. With a few specialised exceptions, all firearms in the United Kingdom must be licensed on either a 5-year firearm certificate (FAC) or a shotgun certificate (SGC) issued by the police for the area in which they normally reside. Each certificate can list multiple firearms. Shotguns (Section 2 firearms under

5850-541: The flying squad , which is a group of specialist firearms officers used operationally to tackle organised crime groups and armed gangs. Before a police officer can apply to join the firearms unit, they are required to have completed their two-year probationary period . After being screened for security clearance and undergoing various interviews, they are invited to attend the National Police Firearms Training Centre at Gravesend , Kent. At

5967-540: The urban district of Caterham and Warlingham and the parish of St. Peter Rural were wholly excluded from the District; whilst the borough of Epsom and Ewell, the urban districts of Banstead, Cheshunt, Coulsdon and Purley, Crayford, Esher and Orpington were brought wholly within the district. The definition, in the Fourth Schedule is as follows: In 1965 the administrative boundaries of London were extended. After 1965

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6084-540: The "authorised shots" carried out routine policing duties. After the formation of firearms units, all trained officers in each force were brought together under one unit, with a structured training programme headed by senior officers. The concept of Armed Response Vehicles were not introduced until 1991, being first transitioned in London . Within London's Metropolitan Police , "authorised shots" were not completely phased out after

6201-577: The 1839 Act was carried out by Order in Council made on 3 January 1840, which listed the following "parishes, townships, precincts, and places" ... "should be added to, and form part of, the metropolitan police district": In 1946 the Metropolitan Police District was somewhat redrawn by the Police Act 1946 , to match the then local government boundaries. The boroughs of Dartford and Watford ,

6318-443: The 1968 Act as amended) are defined in UK law as smoothbore firearms with barrels not shorter than 24 inches (61 cm) and a bore not larger than 2 inches (5.1 cm) in diameter, no revolving cylinder, and either no magazine or a non-detachable magazine that is not capable of holding more than two cartridges, plus one in the chamber; shotguns with higher capacity require a firearm certificate. Shotguns thus defined are subject to

6435-512: The 1970s, rules regarding operational use of firearms dictated that they were to be worn in a holster on the duty belt , concealing the weapon until drawn. The rule was revised when armed police officers began to carry firearms other than pistols, the size of which meant they could not be concealed. The first instance of this was when armed airport officers of the Metropolitan Police Aviation Security OCU were issued with

6552-420: The 20th century the population of the County of London was in decline and the London population was growing in the outer suburbs within the MPD. During this period the MPD was used as a definition of 'Greater London'. 1901 Census is an example of this. Not all parts of Greater London, although within the boundaries of the MPD, are policed by the Metropolitan Police. The Greater London Authority Act 1999 defines

6669-576: The 32 boroughs of Greater London (including the City of Westminster), while the City of London is served by the City of London Police . The Metropolitan Police District was defined in the schedule of the Metropolitan Police Act 1829 as an approximately circular area within a seven-mile (11-kilometre) radius of Charing Cross , which was divided into four districts and 17 police divisions . It consisted of parts of: There have been numerous changes to

6786-569: The Deer Act 1991 (which mandated its use for deer stalking). An exemption permitted the acquisition and possession of expanding ammunition on firearm certificates held for game shooting or deer-stalking but not target shooting. Section 219 of the Policing and Crime Act 2017 modified the 1997 Act to only apply to pistol ammunition. The distinction is no longer made for rifles and expanding ammunition may be used for target shooting. The quantity of ammunition

6903-540: The Firearms Act 1968 at section 57(1). However, with the exception of Scotland where a certificate is now required, they are exempt from the requirement that a firearm certificate or shotgun certificate needs to be obtained to possess or acquire them provided that they meet certain limits as to their power. Air pistols with a muzzle energy not exceeding 6 foot-pounds force (8.1 joules) and other airguns with muzzle energy not exceeding 12 ft⋅lbf (16 J) do not require

7020-689: The IRA threat. On 13 January 2016, following the November 2015 Paris attacks it was decided to significantly increase the numbers of armed officers in London. The then Commissioner of the London Metropolitan Police , Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe has decided that he will double the number of armed officers and promised a 'significant' further announcement. Police use of firearms has been a slow and controversial process, usually due to resistance from senior officers regarding firearms and adverse reactions from

7137-583: The MET police is the BMW X5. Many forces operate Road Policing Units , solely responsible for maintaining the traffic flow on UK motorways and A roads . Instead of creating both an ARV and an RPU, certain forces have merged them together creating " Traffic ARVs " which carry out normal road policing duties, until required for firearms incidents. Within London's Metropolitan Police , Armed Response Vehicles are crewed by three authorised firearms officers . Each AFO has

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7254-465: The MPD that elsewhere would have been entitled to their own police force did not have them. The MPD was originally defined in reference to civil parishes and in 1946 was altered to correspond to local government districts. The MPD has been used for other purposes during its existence, such as the boundary for coal tax and as a 'Greater London' statistical unit. When the Greater London Council

7371-706: The Metropolitan Police District as consisting of "Greater London, excluding the City of London , the Inner Temple and the Middle Temple ." The City of London has its own police force, the City of London Police , which also covers the Inner and Middle Temples. As constables of both forces are empowered throughout England and Wales , mutual assistance is a routine matter. The City of London has limited policing jurisdiction with parks constabularies within their lands at Hampstead Heath and Epping Forest (constables are attested under

7488-619: The Metropolitan Police, who had previously been under the control of the Home Secretary . Initially, the government proposed to retain the areas outside the local government boundary, with a representative appointed to the Metropolitan Police Authority from the councils outside the Greater London Authority boundary. However the government changed its mind and in the Greater London Authority Act 1999 ,

7605-480: The National Crime Agency declared that Turkish-manufactured side/top venting blank-firing pistol replicas by companies such as BLOW, CEONIC, EKOL, and Retay, which were previously sold legally in the United Kingdom are officially classed as Section 5 firearms. The decision was made following several police seizures of lethally-modified blank pistols and at least 4 murders being committed using similar weapons in

7722-432: The National Police Firearms Training Centre. The main role of an SFO is to intervene in situations that are beyond the control of AFOs, such as building sieges involving a hostage situation. Potential SFOs are extensively trained in the use of specialist firearms , method of entry techniques and abseiling 'fast rope' skills. Potential SFOs are also trained in safe entry into air and watercraft . Training also includes

7839-554: The UK rarely exceeds around three occasions per year. For example, Thames Valley Police has only fired at a suspect once in its entire history. Only three services in the United Kingdom routinely arm officers due to the nature of their work; the Ministry of Defence Police which polices MOD property, the Civil Nuclear Constabulary which polices civil nuclear facilities, and the Police Service of Northern Ireland due to

7956-422: The UK. The penalty for possession of any type of firearm without a certificate is a maximum of 14 years in prison and an unlimited fine. The penalty for section 5 categories of firearm is subject to a mandatory minimum of five years. (The sentencing judge has discretion to depart from the minimum sentence if there are "exceptional circumstances".) The Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 increased restrictions on

8073-611: The age of eighteen from having the weapon with him". Any person who is in a building or is on land as a trespasser whilst having a firearm with them commits the offence of trespassing with a firearm. It is immaterial whether or not they have any ammunition with them at the time or whether they actually intend to use it at the place in which they were trespassing. Explosive, incendiary, noxious (biological, chemical), and armour-piercing ammunition types are prohibited for civilians. The Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997 (section 9) generally prohibited expanding ammunition , but this conflicted with

8190-416: The armed forces. The Metropolitan Police was formed on 29 September 1829, with the passing of the Metropolitan Police Act . The officers of the 'new police' were unarmed to counter fears of a paramilitary organisation. Despite this, Home Secretary Sir Robert Peel gave the commissioner authorisation to purchase fifty flintlock pocket pistols for use in exceptional circumstances. As time progressed,

8307-639: The boundaries of the MPD, and of the divisions therein. The Metropolitan Police Act 1839 recognised that the "boundary is... very irregular" and made it lawful to add any place in the Central Criminal Court District and also "any part of any parish, township, precinct or place" not more than 15 miles (24 km) from Charing Cross. The enlarged district encompassed the metropolitan area and some parts of Essex , Kent , Hertfordshire and Surrey . The 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica notes that it included "those civil parishes [...] of which any part

8424-400: The boundaries of the Metropolitan Police District were redefined to match Greater London. The excised county areas were reassigned to Essex Police , Hertfordshire Constabulary and Surrey Police . The London Coal and Wine Duties Continuance Act 1861 aligned the coal tax boundary to the MPD and a series of coal-tax posts can be found along the boundary as it existed at that time. During

8541-540: The building. Pending authorisation from the Home Office to deploy SFOs, ARV officers would organise an inner and outer cordon. The inner being made up of armed officers, and the outer of unarmed to prevent members of the public gaining entry and prevent traffic entering the affected area. Efforts would be made to evacuate people in the immediate vicinity so that they are not at risk of stray gunfire, or confine them to their homes for their own safety. A control room would be established where emergency services can liaise and plan

8658-427: The built-up area of London spread at the time into many parishes and counties without an established boundary. The district expanded as the built up area grew and stretched some distance into rural land. When county police forces were set up in England, those of Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent and Surrey did not cover the parts of the counties within the MPD, while Middlesex did not have a county force. Similarly, boroughs in

8775-732: The centre, the potential AFOs undergo one week of intensive training on the Glock 17 pistol , Heckler & Koch MP5 semi automatic carbine , Heckler & Koch L104A1 baton gun and the X2 Taser . This is followed by training on the legal regulations regarding the police use of firearms and rules of engagement , a further six weeks of training is focused solely on ARVs , with an emphasis on driving techniques, high speed pursuit methods and safely executing controlled crashes. Authorized Firearms Officers applying to become specialist firearms officers , are required to attend an eight-week training course at

8892-481: The creation of AFO and SFO. Within London, sieges involving a terrorist objective or required specialist entry was dealt with by D11 . Whereas, all other siege situations involving an armed, barricaded criminal were dealt with by borough "divisional riflemen", supervised by a senior officer doubling as instructor from D11. The Metropolitan Police firearms unit has had a series of name changes, due to continuous changes in departmental units. When first formed in 1966, it

9009-420: The deployment of carbines. Intervention from specialist firearms officers requires authorisation from the Home Office before the chief constable of the force can deploy them. Before the creation of authorised firearms officer and specialist firearms officer roles, each large police station had a small number of "authorised shots" (as they were then called). trained in the use of firearms. Until needed,

9126-488: The flintlocks were decommissioned, being superseded by early revolvers . During the 1880s, burglary (or "house breaking" as it was then called) was a common problem for police. "House breakers" often carried firearms, due to the law of the day permitting members of the public to own firearms. After a series of fatal shootings of officers on the outer divisions of the Metropolis , and after much press coverage debating whether

9243-472: The general public to firearms is subject to strict control measures. Members of the public may own certain firearms for the purposes of sport shooting, recreation, hunting or occupational purposes, however, they must be properly licensed. As of 2024, there are approximately 550,000 licensed firearm owners in Great Britain, holding approximately 2,210,000 firearms. The following weapons are subject to general prohibition: Firearms that previously fell into

9360-421: The grant of a firearm certificate. Shotguns with a detachable magazine or larger fixed magazine are considered firearms and require a firearm certificate (24-inch (61 cm) rule and 40-inch (100 cm) fixed overall length) or break action shotguns with a minimum 12-inch (30 cm) barrel and overall 24-inch (61 cm) fixed length. Airguns are firearms like any other according to the definition given in

9477-407: The grip, with overall dimensions larger than those prohibited. Long-barrelled pistols in single-shot, or long-barrelled revolvers, both of any calibre, or semi-automatic in .22 rimfire, are all permitted with a firearm certificate. Pistol shooting for sporting purposes was effectively banned in 1997, although a temporary exemption was made for competitors to bring Section 5 firearms into the UK for

9594-512: The most commonly deployed are: Such an assault may be preceded by "ferret" CS gas canisters fired into the property, to concuss and soften resistance. Following an assault firearms officers have made the premises safe, by clearing it out of offenders and making both police and offenders weapons safe. Scenes of Crime Officers will forensically seal both police and other weapons for examination to discover if either have been discharged, and to be used as evidence in court. The usage of firearms by

9711-569: The most notable FIUs is the Metropolitan Police 's Operation Trident & Trafalgar , which initially only investigated gun crime involving the black community but has since expanded to investigate all shootings. FIU also works to identify criminals who are known to have access to firearms. Firearms and equipment in service vary between forces, due to individual police authorities ' and chief officers ' independence in deciding equipment for their service. Despite being armed, AFOs carry

9828-538: The newly created Greater London more closely matched the MPD, and the MPD was defined again by section 76 of the London Government Act 1963 . The former area of the Municipal Borough of Romford and Hornchurch Urban District , which had not previously been covered by the MPD but were now in Greater London, were added. The revised MPD included some areas that did not become part of Greater London. In 1974 it

9945-464: The newly sanctioned Heckler & Koch MP5 semi-automatic carbine . 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". In a less threatening situation, authorisation had to be gained from an on-call senior officer of

10062-426: The number of rounds of each calibre of ammunition listed on their certificate to 1000 per listed calibre. This is a standard allowance given to every certificate holder. If a certificate holder requires a larger allowance, they must request that increase from PSNI Firearms Branch. Semi-automatic rifles are permitted when chambered in .22 rimfire. Handguns, shotguns and air rifles are permitted in various calibres. There

10179-582: The operation, along with a mobile canteen nearby. The police would employ the Gold Silver Bronze command structure , with a Gold Commander being a senior officer overseeing events from a nearby police station , the Silver Commander who would oversee events from the on-scene control room, and the Bronze Commander who would be as close to the incident as possible. In the preliminary stages of

10296-491: The past 2 years. Legal owners of such blank-firing replicas in England and Wales are expected to surrender them by February 28, 2025. Single-, double-, or triple-barrelled shotguns, or those with a lever-action, pump-action, or semi-automatic action and fixed magazine capacity of no more than 2 cartridges are permitted on a shotgun certificate as long as they meet the criteria of having a minimum barrel length of 24 inches (61 cm), overall length of 40 inches (100 cm), and

10413-534: The point of impact. MSPs such as Kenny MacAskill have claimed Scotland has a problem with air gun violence. However official figures show that out of the estimated 500,000 airguns in Scotland there were only 195 offences, a ratio of less than 0.04%. Not all of these offences have been linked to violence with many being minor. The Commission on Scottish Devolution when implemented gave the Scottish Parliament powers to regulate air guns. On 14 December 2012,

10530-593: The police is covered by statute (such as the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 and Human Rights Act 1998 ), policy (such as the Home Office Code of Practice on Police use of Firearms and Less Lethal Weapons and the ACPO Manual of Guidance on Police Use of Firearms ) and common law . AFOs may only carry firearms when authorized by an "appropriate authorising officer". The appropriate authorizing officer must be of

10647-492: The police were often in poor condition and sometimes lacked a holster to accommodate the weapon, leading to them being concealed in the uniform tunic or tucked in the waistline of the trouser. In the years following the Second World War, training for the standard-issue Webley & Scott revolver consisted of firing six shots, to pass, it was required that three shots be on target. Loading, unloading and safe handling of

10764-631: The population) own firearms, having 380,000 among them. Gun control laws in Northern Ireland are less restrictive in some areas than gun laws in Great Britain due to the Good Friday Agreement , allowing Northern Ireland to govern itself and pass less restrictive laws. Gun law in Northern Ireland consists primarily of the Firearms (Northern Ireland) Order 2004. Any firearm that has a muzzle energy exceeding 1 joule (0.74 ft⋅lbf) must be listed on

10881-456: The possession of a firearm is a reasonable, proportionate and necessary measure to protect their life. Permits for personal protection also allow the holder to carry their firearms concealed. Northern Ireland is the only part of the United Kingdom where personal protection is accepted as a legitimate reason to obtain and own a firearm. Following the assassination of William the Silent in 1584 with

10998-532: The principle of licensing air weapons. As of 31 December 2016, it is a requirement to hold an airgun certificate in Scotland to possess an air rifle with muzzle energy less than 12 ft⋅lb (16 J) or air pistol with muzzle energy less than 6 ft⋅lb (8.1 J). There are some exceptions for current FAC and SGC holders in that they may hold an air rifle on their current certificate and apply to add it/them when next renewing their FAC or SGC. More than 100,000 people in Northern Ireland (approximately 5.7% of

11115-523: The public. During the Second World War , firearms were only carried on protection duties, such as guarding Downing Street , Buckingham Palace and locations at risk from enemy sabotage . However, the police were supplied with many firearms such as the Canadian Ross Rifle and P14 Enfield as part of the anti-invasion preparations of World War II . Due to equipment shortages, firearms issued to

11232-603: The rank of inspector or higher. When working at airports , nuclear sites, on Protection Duties and deployed in Armed Response Vehicles in certain areas, 'Standing Authority' is granted to carry personal sidearms . All members of the Police Service of Northern Ireland have authority to carry a personal issue handgun as a matter of routine, and may carry it whilst off duty. In all forces, usage of other weapons such as semi-automatic carbines requires further training and authorisation. Semi-automatic carbines are stored in

11349-481: The regulations are manufactured, such as the Westlake Taurus .357 muzzle-loading revolver. All other pistols are mostly prohibited in Great Britain, with some exceptions such as pistols used for the humane dispatch of injured animals (such as deer) and some historical firearms. This law created a new market for "long-barrelled revolvers" and "long-barrelled pistols", firearms with a permanently attached extension to

11466-502: The restoration of seized arms. Metropolitan Police District The Metropolitan Police District ( MPD ) is the police area which is policed by the Metropolitan Police Service in London. It currently consists of the ceremonial county of Greater London , which excludes the City of London . The Metropolitan Police District was created by the Metropolitan Police Act 1829 as an ad hoc area of administration because

11583-550: The right to host the 2014 Commonwealth Games , this arrangement was extended beyond the Olympics, with a small number of UK ranges licensed for Section 5 shooting. A few models of ISSF 50 meter pistol (also known as "Free Pistol") have been produced which exceed the defined dimensions for prohibited "short firearms" and qualify as Section 1 firearms. Some free pistols offered removable stabiliser bars; UK-legal models are manufactured with stabilisers permanently fixed. Examples include

11700-399: The rules outlined are compliant with the European Convention of Human Rights and the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 . Firearms officers are authorized to fire upon a suspect if they pose an "immediate threat to life", such as if an armed offender brandished a firearm at a member of the public or police officer. They may also fire if an offender is clearly in possession of a firearm, or

11817-453: The same duties. The radios are specially adapted so that the officer is not forced to release the grip on the firearm. SFOs would be more likely to wear fire retardant coveralls with webbing including "belt order" kit. During the early 1990s, most services adopted white dress shirts for officers, rather than the previous light blue. In most services, AFOs wear a black polo style shirt with standard black trousers. AFOs and SFOs often wear

11934-502: The service should be routinely armed, the commissioner applied to the Home Secretary for authorisation to allow officers on the outer districts to carry a revolver if they wished to at night. 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. From then on, all officers who felt the need to be armed, could be so. The practice lasted until 1936, although

12051-500: The several Counties of this Kingdom , passed shortly after the Restoration , enabled and authorized, by warrant, local government personnel to search for and seize all arms in the custody or possession of any person or persons whom the government judged dangerous to the peace of the kingdom. It prohibited the search of rural houses during the night hours. It made it lawful in case of resistance to enter by force. Furthermore, it allowed for

12168-415: The single-shot Pardini K22 Longarm and the five-shot Westlake Britarms Long Pistol. Specific models of blank-firing starting pistol that are "readily convertible" to fire live ammunition may also be either banned or require a firearm certificate. The Bruni Olympic .380 BBM blank-firing revolver was banned in 2010 on evidence that it was being illegally converted to fire live ammunition. In October 2024,

12285-458: The standard-issue telescopic or rigid baton , CS / PAVA incapacitant spray , and Speedcuffs on the duty belt . Instead of wearing the standard-issue stab vest , AFOs and SFOs wear a ballistic vest which affords greater protection from gun shots . Instead of carrying one TETRA radio like that of an unarmed officer, AFOs carry two, with one being for the service frequency and the other to communicate solely with other firearms officers on

12402-479: The time so any measures would have needed to be formally approved by the government of the United Kingdom. Around this time, the media gave some exposure to growing public desire to have air guns banned or regulated, particularly from the parents of a child that died after being struck in the head by a pellet in Easterhouse, a suburb of east Glasgow. The child was said to have had a skull only two millimetres thick at

12519-513: The transaction does not constitute a business activity. In 2006 it became a crime to fire an air weapon beyond the boundary of any premises without the occupier's permission, and increased the lower age limit for buying or possessing an air weapon to 18 years. From 10 February 2011 the Crime and Security Act 2010 (s. 46) made it an offence "for a person in possession of an air weapon to fail to take reasonable precautions to prevent any person under

12636-423: The use of tear gas and stun grenades , safe handling of hostages and rescue techniques, computer simulated 'war games' of potential threats such as a major evacuation or terrorist attack, and training in the use of protective clothing against CBRN attack. The guidelines regarding operational use of firearms and rules of engagement are dictated by the Association of Chief Police Officers , making sure that

12753-496: The use of the Heckler & Koch L104A1 "baton gun" , which fires an attenuating energy projectile . The "baton gun" is authorised for use in situations where an offender needs to be incapacitated, without resorting to the use of conventional firearms. Armed officers also have access to the discriminating irritant projectile, which is designed to deliver a cloud of irritant in the direction of an aggressive offender. During July 2007,

12870-405: The use, possession, sale and manufacture of both airguns and imitation firearms . As of 31 March 2024, there were: In 2006, Glasgow politician Tommy Sheridan of the political party Solidarity launched a consultation to restrict possession of air guns, highlighting recent cases including the death of toddler Andrew Morton, but the Scottish Parliament did not have the power to ban airguns at

12987-476: The variation is made at the time of renewal, or unless it constitutes a one-for-one replacement of an existing firearm that will be disposed of. The certificate also sets out, by calibre, the maximum quantities of ammunition someone may possess at any one time, and is used to record ammunition purchases (except where ammunition is bought to use immediately on a range under s11 or s15 of the Firearms Act). To obtain

13104-559: The vast majority of the system was phased out by the end of the 19th century. During the late 19th century, revolvers were issued to divisional police stations . The number of revolvers stored at the station depended on its size, and geographical location. In the Metropolitan Police the issue of firearms to stations was standardised with; ten pistols with 320 rounds of ammunition issued to divisional stations, six pistols with 192 rounds per sub-divisional station, and three pistols with 96 rounds to each section station. The firearms were kept in

13221-572: The weapon was not usually taught. During the same period, the police had an increased number of ex-servicemen joining the ranks, and their previous knowledge was treated to suffice leading to them being issued with firearms without police training, in an emergency. An example of this, was when the police mounted a large-scale search following the Shepherd's Bush murders , firearms were issued to any officer who had previous experience of their use, such as officers that attended shooting clubs or ex-members of

13338-600: Was again restated as: Following the first periodic review of Greater London and the London boroughs by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England , changes were made to the City of London Police and MPD boundary on 1 April 1994, with several exchanges of territory. In 1998 the Government ' Green Paper ' on the Greater London Authority proposed to create a police authority for

13455-430: Was decided that to be successful in this role, the police needed to be issued firearms. The Ministry of Defence loaned Sten submachine guns , along with a number of Lee–Enfield No4 bolt-action rifles . These, along with Webley & Scott revolvers and ammunition were kept in secret depots around the United Kingdom, with the locations known by senior officers, so each force had access to them if required. Before

13572-422: Was established in 1965, the MPD was expanded to include all of its territory, though some areas that did not become part of Greater London continued to be within it. In 2000, when the Greater London Authority was formed, the outer boundary of the MPD was retracted to coincide with Greater London and the neighbouring county forces then became responsible for those areas outside Greater London. The MPD now consists of

13689-513: Was named D6, before being changed to D11. After that it was changed to PT17 under Personnel and Training, when the Specialist Operations designation was introduced it was changed to SO19. Upon "SO" being phased out in 2005, its designation was replaced by Central Operations . The firearms unit's present name is Specialist Firearms Command , with its designation being SCO19. Since 2005, the police have been equipped and authorised to employ

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