ARmy Rumour SErvice

Originally Posted by Boumer

But you know the sad thing is a generation of probationary constables are looking at those photos and seriously thinking that is the way forward.

Didn't think Police were recruiting? Anyway, I agree with you. However, if he has the nads to go to a possible Op Kratos situation he can dress in spandex and carry a hockey stick for all I care, so long as he has a number and 'Police' written on bold on him.

Originally Posted by scalieback

Didn't think Police were recruiting? Anyway, I agree with you. However, if he has the nads to go to a possible Op Kratos situation he can dress in spandex and carry a hockey stick for all I care, so long as he has a number and 'Police' written on bold on him.

I think I've said it somewhere before, but I risk repeating myself.

Firstly, thee-letter acronyms as I understand them. AFO's are the crews of routine CO19 vehicles, the sort of first line armed police. SFO's are the top-tier and cross train with "them" and all that sort of thing.

I genuinely believe that SFO's (unless utterly beyond all argument, you know-caught executing a suspect) are beyond accountability. It is far too useful to senior police, etc to have them around.

AFO's will be at the mercy of the court system for post-shooting incident, but are unlikely to be convicted (unlikely to comfort the officers put through the court system).

All other police (uniform, CID and public order duties, etc) can get shafted by the IPCC, senior cops, standards departments, racial equality watch-groups, etc, etc.

But 99.9% of the time, who are the more useful?

Maybe I am too cynical and need to turn my frown up-side down or something. I think my suspicions are valid, though.

Ooh, he will be in trouble, he is not wearing his Tie!.

Originally Posted by Boumer

I think I've said it somewhere before, but I risk repeating myself.

Firstly, thee-letter acronyms as I understand them. AFO's are the crews of routine CO19 vehicles, the sort of first line armed police. SFO's are the top-tier and cross train with "them" and all that sort of thing.

I genuinely believe that SFO's (unless utterly beyond all argument, you know-caught executing a suspect) are beyond accountability. It is far too useful to senior police, etc to have them around.

AFO's will be at the mercy of the court system for post-shooting incident, but are unlikely to be convicted (unlikely to comfort the officers put through the court system).

All other police (uniform, CID and public order duties, etc) can get shafted by the IPCC, senior cops, standards departments, racial equality watch-groups, etc, etc.

But 99.9% of the time, who are the more useful?

Maybe I am too cynical and need to turn my frown up-side down or something. I think my suspicions are valid, though.

I don't doubt what you're saying, just my point that someone who goes in to a suspected suicide bomber can wear what he likes imo, so long as clearly identified as an officer and as an individual.

99.9% being the ones not firearms authorised I assume? AFO's in the Met would be around 2-3%. ~700 of ~33,000, CO 19 having 550.

I have a question - how often are AFO's and SFO's actually called to discharge their weapons. I mean you occasionally hear in the news that they've shot someone, but it must be more common than the sparse news stories or there wouldn't be that many armed officers!

If it isn't that common, he should especially not be carrying two pistols...

I watched some footage of these wannabe SWAT/them on the news yesterday. Top quality comedy value especially the ones clad in full kit including kevlar hoofing it down an alleyway with the mandatory 4 foot 8 doris struggling under the weight of it all.

Originally Posted by scalieback

I don't doubt what you're saying, just my point that someone who goes in to a suspected suicide bomber can wear what he likes imo, so long as clearly identified as an officer and as an individual.

99.9% being the ones not firearms authorised I assume? AFO's in the Met would be around 2-3%. ~700 of ~33,000, CO 19 having 550.

I think we are in agreement about the chap and identifying numbers.

No idea of how many shots there are in the Met (though some of the ones I know who carry firearms do not reassure me).

I just would rather people were seen flashing this bit of kit around. Solves more, and if deployed more often stops things escalating to the point that people need to look like Universal Soldier. Up there with the Mk 1 "pair of ears" (which seem to be declining in use) and common sense, which appears to have been smashed out of the police farce sometime during Sir Ian Blair's term as commissioner.

Who cares anyway what I say, anything I say will be drowned out by the sound of the awesomeness from the shots and seniors writing up their next promotion off the back of the handling of the incident.

Credit where credit is due, but can we please have a sense of proportion about how we behave in public gents?

Originally Posted by Yeoman_dai

I have a question - how often are AFO's and SFO's actually called to discharge their weapons. I mean you occasionally hear in the news that they've shot someone, but it must be more common than the sparse news stories or there wouldn't be that many armed officers!

If it isn't that common, he should especially not be carrying two pistols...

I would say in the larger cities it is more common Without stating the obvious (not sure if the stats are available) anywhere?

Trident is always kept busy maintaining pro active patrols as a deterrent more than anything else.