Armed Response Vehicle
Encyclopedia
An armed response vehicle (ARV) is a type of police car
operated by the British police. ARVs are crewed by Authorised Firearms Officer
s to respond to emergency telephone calls
believed to involve firearms or other high-risk situations. ARVs are specially adapted and modified to accommodate specialist equipment, along with the transportation of armed officers to a scene of an incident.
police do not routinely carry firearms on patrol, with the exception of a minority of armed officers. Outside of London, ARVs are controlled and organised by the Force Firearms Unit
, and within the capital they are controlled by Specialist Firearms Command
. ARVs are identifiable in London by a yellow dot sticker, visible from each angle, and an asterisk on the roof to enable helicopters to identify the vehicle as being an ARV. Diplomatic Protection Group
vehicles, identifiable from their red paintwork, utilise the same markings to dictate the carrying of firearms officers.
ARVs deployed for the first time in London, during 1991. Following their success, forces outside of the capital later formed them throughout the early to mid 1990s. The concept of an ARV was influenced by West Yorkshire Police
's instant response cars, as used in 1976.
Early ARVs contained a secure safe between the seats containing a .38
Smith & Wesson
Model 10 for each member, with two 9mm
Heckler & Koch MP5
semi-automatic carbines
secured in the boot (trunk)
. After ARVs became established and the practice was accepted for widespread use, the Model 10 revolver
s were replaced by more recent self-loading Glock 17s
, firing 9 mm rounds.
Revolvers and pistols could be removed from the secure safe by ARV members if, in a member's opinion, an immediate threat to life was posed. Authorisation to remove carbines required authorisation from the control room once they had contacted an officer of Association of Chief Police Officers
(ACPO) rank. If a high ranking officer was not available, a Chief Inspector
could give authorisation in an emergency. Following an increase in the size of the Firearms Unit, Commissioner Sir Paul Condon issued regulations, effective 23 May 1994, that gave ARV crews standing authority to wear their handguns overtly and to deploy their weapons. Several police forces followed suit. The Greater Manchester police became one of those whose AFVs that openly carried firearms beginning 6 September 1994.
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 authorised by an "appropriate authorising officer". The appropriate authorising officer must be of the rank of Inspector
or higher. When working at airport
s, nuclear sites, on protection duties, and deployed in armed response vehicles in certain areas, standing authority is granted to carry personal side arms. All members of the Police Service of Northern Ireland
have authority to carry a personal issue handgun as a matter of routine. In all forces, usage of other weapons such as semi-automatic carbine
s requires further training and authorisation. Semi-automatic carbines are stored in 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 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.
Police car
A police car is a ground vehicle used by police, to assist with their duties in patrolling and responding to incidents. Typical uses of a police car include transportation for officers to reach the scene of an incident quickly, to transport criminal suspects, or to patrol an area, while providing a...
operated by the British police. ARVs are crewed by Authorised Firearms Officer
Authorised Firearms Officer
An Authorised Firearms Officer is a British police officer who has received training and authorisation to carry and use firearms. The designation is significant because within the United Kingdom, police officers do not routinely carry firearms...
s to respond to emergency telephone calls
999 (emergency telephone number)
999 is an official emergency telephone number in a number of countries which allows the caller to contact emergency services for urgent assistance....
believed to involve firearms or other high-risk situations. ARVs are specially adapted and modified to accommodate specialist equipment, along with the transportation of armed officers to a scene of an incident.
Introduction of ARVs
Armed response vehicles were introduced to the British Police to provide them with a firearms response capability, as the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
police do not routinely carry firearms on patrol, with the exception of a minority of armed officers. Outside of London, ARVs are controlled and organised by the Force Firearms Unit
Firearms unit
A firearms unit is a specialised, armed unit within each territorial police force in the United Kingdom. For the most part, the police forces of the United Kingdom are unarmed; however, all have firearms units to provide the police force with the capability to deal with armed criminals...
, and within the capital they are controlled by Specialist Firearms Command
Specialist Firearms Command
Central Operations Specialist Firearms Command is a Central Operations branch within Greater London's Metropolitan Police Service. The Command is responsible for providing a firearms-response capability, assisting the rest of the service, which is normally unarmed...
. ARVs are identifiable in London by a yellow dot sticker, visible from each angle, and an asterisk on the roof to enable helicopters to identify the vehicle as being an ARV. Diplomatic Protection Group
Diplomatic Protection Group
The Diplomatic Protection Group is a Specialist Operations branch of London's Metropolitan Police Service. The unit's main purpose is to provide specialist protection for diplomatic residencies in London, such as embassies, high commissions and consular sections...
vehicles, identifiable from their red paintwork, utilise the same markings to dictate the carrying of firearms officers.
ARVs deployed for the first time in London, during 1991. Following their success, forces outside of the capital later formed them throughout the early to mid 1990s. The concept of an ARV was influenced by West Yorkshire Police
West Yorkshire Police
West Yorkshire Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing West Yorkshire in England. It is the fourth largest force in England and Wales by number of officers, with 5671 officers....
's instant response cars, as used in 1976.
Early ARVs contained a secure safe between the seats containing a .38
.38 Special
The .38 Smith & Wesson Special is a rimmed, centerfire cartridge designed by Smith & Wesson. It is most commonly used in revolvers, although some semi-automatic pistols and carbines also use this round...
Smith & Wesson
Smith & Wesson
Smith & Wesson is the largest manufacturer of handguns in the United States. The corporate headquarters is in Springfield, Massachusetts. Founded in 1852, Smith & Wesson's pistols and revolvers have become standard issue to police and armed forces throughout the world...
Model 10 for each member, with two 9mm
9 mm caliber
This article lists firearm cartridges which have a bullet in the caliber range. The most prevalent of these rounds is the 9x19mm Parabellum.*Length refers to the cartridge case length.*OAL refers to the overall length of the cartridge....
Heckler & Koch MP5
Heckler & Koch MP5
The Heckler & Koch MP5 is a 9mm submachine gun of German design, developed in the 1960s by a team of engineers from the German small arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH of Oberndorf am Neckar....
semi-automatic carbines
Semi-automatic firearm
A semi-automatic, or self-loading firearm is a weapon which performs all steps necessary to prepare the weapon to fire again after firing—assuming cartridges remain in the weapon's feed device or magazine...
secured in the boot (trunk)
Trunk (automobile)
The trunk or boot of an automobile or car is the vehicle's main storage, luggage, or cargo compartment. Trunk is used in North American English and Jamaican English; boot is used elsewhere in the English speaking world. Trunk is also primarily used in many non-English speaking regions, such as...
. After ARVs became established and the practice was accepted for widespread use, the Model 10 revolver
Revolver
A revolver is a repeating firearm that has a cylinder containing multiple chambers and at least one barrel for firing. The first revolver ever made was built by Elisha Collier in 1818. The percussion cap revolver was invented by Samuel Colt in 1836. This weapon became known as the Colt Paterson...
s were replaced by more recent self-loading Glock 17s
Glock pistol
The Glock pistol, sometimes referred to by the manufacturer as Glock "Safe Action" Pistol, is a series of semi-automatic pistols designed and produced by Glock Ges.m.b.H., located in Deutsch-Wagram, Austria. The company's founder, engineer Gaston Glock, had no experience with firearm design or...
, firing 9 mm rounds.
Revolvers and pistols could be removed from the secure safe by ARV members if, in a member's opinion, an immediate threat to life was posed. Authorisation to remove carbines required authorisation from the control room once they had contacted an officer of Association of Chief Police Officers
Association of Chief Police Officers
The Association of Chief Police Officers , established in 1948, is a private limited company that leads the development of policing practice in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.ACPO provides a forum for chief police officers to share ideas and coordinates the strategic...
(ACPO) rank. If a high ranking officer was not available, a Chief Inspector
Chief inspector
Chief inspector is a rank used in police forces which follow the British model. In countries outside Britain, it is sometimes referred to as chief inspector of police .-Australia:...
could give authorisation in an emergency. Following an increase in the size of the Firearms Unit, Commissioner Sir Paul Condon issued regulations, effective 23 May 1994, that gave ARV crews standing authority to wear their handguns overtly and to deploy their weapons. Several police forces followed suit. The Greater Manchester police became one of those whose AFVs that openly carried firearms beginning 6 September 1994.
Use of firearms within the British Police
The usage of firearms by the police is covered by statute (such as the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984
The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 is an Act of Parliament which instituted a legislative framework for the powers of police officers in England and Wales to combat crime, as well as providing codes of practice for the exercise of those powers. Part VI of PACE required the Home Secretary...
and Human Rights Act 1998
Human Rights Act 1998
The Human Rights Act 1998 is an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom which received Royal Assent on 9 November 1998, and mostly came into force on 2 October 2000. Its aim is to "give further effect" in UK law to the rights contained in the European Convention on Human Rights...
), policy (such as the Home Office
Home Office
The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
Code of Practice on Police use of Firearms and Less Lethal Weapons and the ACPO
Association of Chief Police Officers
The Association of Chief Police Officers , established in 1948, is a private limited company that leads the development of policing practice in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.ACPO provides a forum for chief police officers to share ideas and coordinates the strategic...
Manual of Guidance on Police Use of Firearms) and common law
Common law
Common law is law developed by judges through decisions of courts and similar tribunals rather than through legislative statutes or executive branch action...
.
AFOs may only carry firearms when authorised by an "appropriate authorising officer". The appropriate authorising officer must be of the rank of Inspector
Inspector
Inspector is both a police rank and an administrative position, both used in a number of contexts. However, it is not an equivalent rank in each police force.- Australia :...
or higher. When working at airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
s, nuclear sites, on protection duties, and deployed in armed response vehicles in certain areas, standing authority is granted to carry personal side arms. All members of the Police Service of Northern Ireland
Police Service of Northern Ireland
The Police Service of Northern Ireland is the police force that serves Northern Ireland. It is the successor to the Royal Ulster Constabulary which, in turn, was the successor to the Royal Irish Constabulary in Northern Ireland....
have authority to carry a personal issue handgun as a matter of routine. In all forces, usage of other weapons such as semi-automatic carbine
Semi-automatic firearm
A semi-automatic, or self-loading firearm is a weapon which performs all steps necessary to prepare the weapon to fire again after firing—assuming cartridges remain in the weapon's feed device or magazine...
s requires further training and authorisation. Semi-automatic carbines are stored in 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 a firearm includes both pointing it at a person and discharging it (whether accidentally
Accidental discharge
Accidental discharge is the event of a firearm discharging at a time not intended by the user. Perhaps most commonly, accidental discharges occur when the trigger of the firearm is deliberately pulled for a purpose other than shooting—dry-fire practice, demonstration,...
, negligently
Negligent discharge
A negligent discharge is a discharge of a firearm involving culpable carelessness. In judicial and military technical terms, a negligent discharge is a chargeable offence. A number of armed forces automatically consider any accidental discharge to be negligent discharge, under the assumption that...
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.