London's Armed Police

London's Armed Police
Author: Stephen Smith
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Total Pages: 519
Release: 2019-04-30
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1526749440

An insider’s account of an elite unit fighting crime and terror on the streets of London—includes hundreds of photos. In this book, veteran firearms officer Stephen Smith goes behind the scenes of the Metropolitan Police’s Specialist Firearms Unit, CO19—covering a wide range of events in recent history, from the controversial shootings of Azelle Rodney in 2005 and Mark Duggan in 2011 to the terrorist attacks on Westminster, London Bridge and Borough Market, as well as stories from decades past. Through his unique access to CO19, Smith has managed to put together hundreds of detailed photographs, both historical and contemporary, along with text that goes a long way to explain why it is necessary to have such an elite firearms unit on standby 24/7 in London. This comprehensive volume will bring you up-to date with the training, operations, equipment, and mindset of these courageous individuals who put their lives on the line on a daily basis to keep London safe.

Stop! Armed Police!

Stop! Armed Police!
Author: Stephen Smith
Publisher: Robert Hale Ltd
Total Pages: 482
Release: 2017-05-31
Genre: True Crime
ISBN: 0719824427

Join veteran crime-fighter Stephen Smith on a journey through the dark and dangerous world of the Metropolitan Police specialist firearms command from its inception in 1966, when the cold-blooded murder of three police officers sparked a revolution in the training of armed officers, to the present day. This unique police unit battled against the IRA in the 1970s, experienced its first operational shootings in the 1980s and underwent massive expansion in the 1990s. In the new millenium it fought against Dome raiders, kidnappers, and al-Qaeda terrorists, then worked to provide London with a secure environment in which to host the 2012 Olympic Games. From a gunman ordering cannabis smuggled in fried chicken during a siege to a deranged killer holding toddlers hostage, London's armed police have seen it all. With his wealth of first-hand experience, Stephen Smith has woven together historic and up-to date accounts of perilous and often famously controversial firearms operations across England's capital. Using hundreds of photographs, illustrations and drawings from several archived sources, this fascinating volume spans five decades of the Metropolitan Police's fight against crime and many of its photographs and illustrations have never been published before. Packed with detail and intrigue, 'Stop! Armed Police!' is a must-have for those with an interest in police firearms matters and is a captivating behind-the-scenes look at the dangerous business of policing London's streets.

Armed Police

Armed Police
Author: Mike Waldren
Publisher: The History Press
Total Pages: 310
Release: 2007-02-22
Genre: History
ISBN: 0752496182

On 7 July 2005, just before 9 am, explosive devices detonated on London Underground trains at Liverpool Street, Edgware Road and Kings Cross stations and on a double-decker bus in Tavistock Square. Fifty-six people were killed and over 700 injured. Suicide bombing had come to Britain. Two weeks later, the capital's commuters narrowly missed disaster when four more devices failed to explode. Security in London was increased to unprecedented levels as Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir Ian Blair said his force faced 'its largest operational challenge since the war'. Heavily armed police officers patrolling the streets became a regular feature of television news programmes, leaving an enduring impression that unarmed policing in Britain had gone forever and with it the kindly image of the archetypal British bobby. Controversy rages over the increased use of firearms because in the public mind, the hallmark of British security has always been unarmed policing. Now, for the first time, former Head of the Metropolitan Police Firearms Unit, Mike Waldren, gives his insider account of the changes in Britain's policing, spanning over half a century and including many examples of extraordinary heroism, tragedy, controversy, comedy, intrigue and occasional farce.

Arming the British Police

Arming the British Police
Author: Roy Ingleton
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 164
Release: 2020-07-15
Genre: Antiques & Collectibles
ISBN: 1000144119

As the fear of violent crime escalates, there are calls for the police to carry guns. This examination of the history of violent crime and violence against the representatives of law and order looks at the extent to which the "unarmed" British police have had recourse to firearms in the past.

Armed Police

Armed Police
Author: Michael J. Waldren
Publisher: The History Press
Total Pages: 325
Release: 2007-02-22
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 0752496182

On 7 July 2005, just before 9 am, explosive devices detonated on London Underground trains at Liverpool Street, Edgware Road and Kings Cross stations and on a double-decker bus in Tavistock Square. Fifty-six people were killed and over 700 injured. Suicide bombing had come to Britain. Two weeks later, the capital's commuters narrowly missed disaster when four more devices failed to explode. Security in London was increased to unprecedented levels as Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir Ian Blair said his force faced 'its largest operational challenge since the war'. Heavily armed police officers patrolling the streets became a regular feature of television news programmes, leaving an enduring impression that unarmed policing in Britain had gone forever and with it the kindly image of the archetypal British bobby. Controversy rages over the increased use of firearms because in the public mind, the hallmark of British security has always been unarmed policing. Now, for the first time, former Head of the Metropolitan Police Firearms Unit, Mike Waldren, gives his insider account of the changes in Britain's policing, spanning over half a century and including many examples of extraordinary heroism, tragedy, controversy, comedy, intrigue and occasional farce.

Arming an Unarmed Police

Arming an Unarmed Police
Author: P. A. J. Waddington
Publisher: Office of International Criminal Justice
Total Pages: 144
Release: 1988
Genre: Political Science
ISBN:

This report explores the use of lethal force by police in the United Kingdom. Following a discussion on the organization and policies of London's Metropolitan Police, the focus turns to weapons, training, issues in the use of force by police and the controversial question of whether police should be armed. The need for tactical and refresher training for police, and appropriate training for police unit-commanders, to make them aware of the tactical operations available to them, is pointed out. The demand for the greater firepower of self-loading pistols may be reduced if ammunition issued to police officers has greater stopping power. An alternative to ball ammunition is necessary, since ball ammunition poses a danger to innocent citizens when it is used. The most acute dilemma is not faced by policymakers but rather by police officers who must decide whether to draw their weapon, to take aim, or to open fire. Sometimes, police officers have only a second in which to decide whether to fire their guns; if they make the wrong decision, the may be killed, or kill someone else unnecessarily. There is a continual need to balance police operational effectiveness against public acceptability and safety.

Insecure Guardians

Insecure Guardians
Author: Zoha Waseem
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 314
Release: 2022-11-15
Genre: History
ISBN: 019768873X

The police force is one of the most distrusted institutions in Pakistan, notorious for its corruption and brutality. In both colonial and postcolonial contexts, directives to confront security threats have empowered law enforcement agents, while the lack of adequate reform has upheld institutional weaknesses. This exploration of policing in Karachi, Pakistan's largest city and financial capital, reveals many colonial continuities. Both civilian and military regimes continue to ensure the suppression of the policed via this institution, itself established to militarily subjugate and exploit in the interests of the ruling class. However, contemporary policing practice is not a simple product of its colonial heritage: it has also evolved to confront new challenges and political realities. Based on extensive fieldwork and almost 150 interviews, this ethnographic study reveals a distinctly "postcolonial condition of policing." Mutually reinforcing phenomena of militarisation and informality have been exacerbated by an insecure state that routinely conflates combatting crime, maintaining public order and ensuring national security. This is evident not only in spectacular displays of violence and malpractice, but also in police officers' routine work. Caught in the middle of the country's armed conflicts, their encounters with both state and society are a story of insecurity and uncertainty.

London Falling

London Falling
Author: Paul Cornell
Publisher: Macmillan
Total Pages: 418
Release: 2013-04-16
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 076533027X

A writer of the acclaimed modern incarnation of Doctor Who begins a nail-biting contemporary dark fantasy series

Shooting to Kill?

Shooting to Kill?
Author: Peter Squires
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 262
Release: 2010-08-24
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 0470975849

Shooting to Kill? Policing, Firearms and Armed Response explores the dilemma of armed response policing in the UK, and policing in a gun culture. Offers the first critical exploration of the ACPO code of guidance on Police Use of Firearms and other tactical manuals Includes interviews with senior police firearms managers and critical case studies of police firearms incidents Features the first in-depth, academic analysis of the Stockwell shooting incident and the Kratos policy Provides a review of key developments in armed response policing around the world Describes the crucial phases in armed response policy development in Britain and explores the consequences of arming the police