Authorised Firearms Officer 2280524 225972235 2008-07-16T07:33:16Z Police,Mad,Jack 5040514 /* Firearms in use */ Adding revised weapon list {{Refimprove|date=June 2008}} [[Image:Police armed uk.jpg|thumb|right|[[Authorised Firearms Officer]]s wearing body armour, both armed with [[Heckler & Koch MP5]] semi-automatic carbines and [[Glock 17]] [[Pistol]]s.]] An '''Authorised Firearms Officer''' ('''AFO''') is a [[British police]] [[Police officer|officer]] who has received training and authorisation to carry and use [[firearm]]s. The designation is significant because within the [[United Kingdom]] police officers do not routinely carry firearms. Police officers of the [[Police Service of Northern Ireland]], however, do routinely carry firearms due to the nature of the threat that they have historically faced. Also the [[Ministry of Defence Police]] and the [[Civil Nuclear Constabulary]] carry firearms as a matter of routine. == Training == All police services in the United Kingdom have a AFO selection process<ref name="waldren">{{cite book |title= Armed Police, The Police Use of Firearms since 1945 |last=Waldren |first=Michael J. |authorlink= |coauthors= |year= 2007 |publisher= Sutton |location= England |isbn= 0750946377 |pages= 224}}</ref> , varying slightly between each force. As with many police specialties, all Authorised Firearms Officers have volunteered for the role. Candidates are required to gain approval from their superiors before embarking on a series of interviews, psychological and physical fitness, medical and assessment days before permission to commence firearms training is approved. This is no guarantee of success - candidates can be returned to their previous role at any point in training. The training is generally 4-7 weeks in duration, but will vary according to the post to be held by the AFO once they are authorised. Training includes advanced weapons handling skills, marksmanship, first aid, firearms tactics, and conflict management as well as the policies and relevant laws which they must consider in mind when handling firearms. If successful, officers then carry a card signed by the designated chief firearms officer in their force<ref name="waldren">{{cite book |title= Armed Police, The Police Use of Firearms since 1945 |last=Waldren |first=Michael J. |authorlink= |coauthors= |year= 2007 |publisher= Sutton |location= England |isbn= 0750946377 |pages= 224}}</ref>, and may draw weapons and deploy to incidents when authorised. Once authorised, officers must go through regular and rigorous refresher courses and retests in all of the aspects of their training in order to keep their firearms 'ticket', such as being tested every four months, and requalifying for the role each year. Failing in any aspect can result in the officer having their ticket revoked, and any health issues which arise can also result in suspension from firearms duties, temporarily or otherwise. == Use of firearms officers == AFOs are utilised in certain units such as the [[Flying Squad]] (which deals with commercial armed robbery), Diplomatic Protection, and Special Branch (counter-terrorism). Officers of the [[Ministry of Defence Police]] and the [[Civil Nuclear Constabulary]] are frequently armed due to the high-risk nature of the establishments they protect. They are the only<ref name="waldren">{{cite book |title= Armed Police, The Police Use of Firearms since 1945 |last=Waldren |first=Michael J. |authorlink= |coauthors= |year= 2007 |publisher= Sutton |location= England |isbn= 0750946377 |pages= 224}}</ref>Police forces to be armed with the Heckler & Koch [[MP7]] [[personal defense weapon]] instead of the [[MP5]] and [[G36]] used by territorial police services. == Firearms usage rules == As with all use of force in England and Wales, the onus is on the individual officer to justify any use of force, which includes not only discharging his weapon (intentionally or otherwise), but also pointing his weapon at any person (all of which constitute an assault unless there are 'reasonable grounds'). The individual officer is held personally accountable for all of his actions. This however has changed slightly since the implementation of Operation Kratos, whereby a Designated Senior Officer can give an order to shoot in a situation whereby the firearms officer may not be fully aware of the entire situation, in which circumstance the DSO can be held accountable. (IPCC, 2006) AFO is the first level of firearms authorisation, the next being [[Specialist Firearms Officer]] (SFO), who are trained in skills such as hostage rescue and deal with major incidents or pre-planned operations. Qualification as an AFO allows the officer to use not only conventional firearms, but also the Baton Gun and Taser. With the exception of a small number of 'Specially Trained Units' (STUs), only AFOs or SFOs can use these less-lethal weapons. == Firearms in use == AFO Firearms differ slightly from force to force, but the most common are: * German [[Heckler & Koch MP5]] ([[Semi-automatic firearm|semi-automatic]] [[carbine]]) [http://www.kent.police.uk/Work%20for%20the%20Police/Become%20a%20Police%20Officer/Protective%20services/Training%20and%20Tactica.html] * Austrian [[Steyr AUG]] (Semi Automatic Carbine, some forces issue the AUG instead of the H&K MP5)<ref name="waldren"/> * German [[Heckler & Koch G3]] ([[assault rifle]], used as sniper) * German [[Heckler & Koch G36]] (semi-automatic carbine) [http://www.kent.police.uk/Work%20for%20the%20Police/Become%20a%20Police%20Officer/Protective%20services/Training%20and%20Tactica.html] * Austrian [[Glock 17]] ([[Handgun|pistol]])[http://www.kent.police.uk/Work%20for%20the%20Police/Become%20a%20Police%20Officer/Protective%20services/Training%20and%20Tactica.html] * Swiss/German [[Sig Sauer P226]] (Pistol) [http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread153344/pg2] * German [[Heckler & Koch Baton Gun]] - less lethal option (fires a large [[rubber bullet]])[http://www.kent.police.uk/Work%20for%20the%20Police/Become%20a%20Police%20Officer/Protective%20services/Training%20and%20Tactica.html] * American [[Taser International]] X26 (stun gun)[http://www.kent.police.uk/Work%20for%20the%20Police/Become%20a%20Police%20Officer/Protective%20services/Training%20and%20Tactica.html] ==Metropolitan Police== Within the [[London]] [[Metropolitan Police Service|Metropolitan Police]] there are a number of [[Operational Command Unit]]s (OCUs) that employ AFOs. * The [[Territorial Support Group]] has a small pool of AFOs for certain security tasks. * The [[Specialist Crime Directorate]] arms some [[surveillance]] officers. * Some [[detective]]s in the [[Flying Squad]] are AFOs. * [[Special Branch]] deploys armed officers in its surveillance units, and in A Squad, which protects the [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]] and other dignitaries. * [[Royalty and Diplomatic Protection Department|Royalty Protection Department]], which protects members of the [[British Royal Family|Royal Family]] and guards royal property. * [[Special Escort Group (Metropolitan Police)|Special Escort Group]], which escorts and protects high-risk convoys and VIPs such as the Prime Minister and the Queen. * [[Diplomatic Protection Group]], which guards embassies and government buildings. It also provides the armed guards at [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|Parliament]] to supplement the [[Palace of Westminster Division]], which is unarmed. * [[Aviation Security Operational Command Unit|Aviation Security]], which protects [[London Heathrow Airport|Heathrow]] and [[London City Airport|London City]] airports. * [[Specialist Firearms Command]] (CO19), which provides armed support to the rest of the service, crewing [[Armed Response Vehicle]]s and providing Specialist Firearms Officers (SFOs) * A few police officers in the [[London Borough of Greenwich]] are trained AFOs to provide occasional security for the high security [[Courts of England and Wales|court]] at Belmarsh.{{Fact|date=May 2007}} ==See also== * [[Police use of firearms in the United Kingdom]] * [[Specialist Firearms Command|Specialist Firearms Command (CO19)]] * [[Specialist Firearms Officer]] * [[Gun politics in the United Kingdom]] == References == {{reflist}} * http://www.britemb.org.il/generaluk/faqslaw.html/UK law enforcement FAQ * http://www.met.police.uk/co19/Metropolitan Police Service, CO19 * http://www.global-defence.com/2003/police_03.htmGlobal Defence, inc. police * http://www.kent.police.uk/Work%20for%20the%20Police/Become%20a%20Police%20Officer/Protective%20services/Training%20and%20Tactica.html/Kent Constabulary firearms unit * [http://www.sussex.police.uk/features/specialistUnits/firearms.asp/Sussex Police, firearms unit] * http://www.devon-cornwall.police.uk/v3/about/departm/codiv/operdept/fu.htm/Devon & Cornwall Constabulary, firearms unit * http://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/UNDERZONE/about-us/specialist-firearms.htm/Thames Valley Police, firearms unit * http://www.tayside.police.uk/firearms.php/Tayside police, firearms unit * http://www.limacharlie.org/index.php?id=1372/Cheshire police, unofficial website * http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2004/nov/04/ukguns.ukcrime/Guardian Newspaper article [[Category:Police organisation in the United Kingdom]] [[Category:Law enforcement titles]] {{UK-stub}} {{crime-stub}} {{law-enforcement-stub}}