Specialist Firearms Officer
Encyclopedia
A Specialist Firearms Officer (SFO) is a British Police officer
who has undergone training in the use of police firearms
, and therefore is authorised to carry and when necessary use a firearm to prevent an immediate threat to life. All SFOs first train as Authorised Firearms Officer
s (AFOs) which crew armed response vehicle
s. SFOs receive a higher level of training than AFOs, in areas such as building assault and specialist weapon usage. The common role of an SFO is to assault premises involved in a siege situation.
The usage of firearms by 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 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 Vehicle
s 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. 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.
The majority of officers serving in "regular" British Police forces do not routinely carry firearms, with the three exceptions being the Civil Nuclear Constabulary
, Ministry of Defence Police
and Police Service of Northern Ireland
. To provide each police force with the capability to deal with armed crime, they each operate a firearms unit
. The firearms unit is responsible for operating armed response vehicle
s crewed by AFOs, which respond to emergency calls believed to involve firearms.
s wishing to become Specialist Firearms Officers are required to attend an eight week training course at the National Police Firearms Training Centre in Gravesend, Kent
. However, the potential recruit is only invited to attend the centre if they have successfully passed written psychological tests, and have been security cleared. Usually, the role of an SFO is to intervene in situations that are beyond the control of AFOs, who crew armed response vehicles. Potential SFOs are extensively trained on the safe use of specialist firearms, method of entry
techniques to gain access to premises quickly, abseiling and 'fast rope' skills, scenario training such as being instructed to search a specially adapted training area of an aircraft, extensive use of tear gas and stun grenades, safe handling of rescued hostages and rescue techniques, computer simulated 'war games' of potential threats such as terrorist attacks, and training in the use of protective clothing against CBRN
attack. In 2005 former SAS
trainers expressed concern about the skills and psychological suitability of police officers they had worked with, some of whom appeared "trigger happy
" and made major mistakes in exercises.
and SFOs are only authorised to discharge a firearm when in accordance to section. 117 of the Police And Criminal Evidence Act (1984). They are trained to fire once at the central mass
, which maximises the likelihood of the shot achieving immediate incapacitation. After they have incapacitated the subject they carry out a further risk assessment on the injured subject, to justify any further shots if they still present a threat.
Operation Kratos
contingency plans stated that firearms officers could shoot to kill, aiming for the head, rather than the usual practice of the central mass. This due to the possibility of suspected suicide bombers wearing explosives around the torso which could be detonated by impact, and to the immediately incapacitating effect of damage to the brain.
Police officer
A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
who has undergone training in the use of police firearms
Police use of firearms in the United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, the majority of police officers do not carry firearms, except in special circumstances. This originates from the formation of the Metropolitan Police Service in the 19th century, when police were not armed, partly to counter public fears and objections concerning armed...
, and therefore is authorised to carry and when necessary use a firearm to prevent an immediate threat to life. All SFOs first train as 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 (AFOs) which crew armed response vehicle
Armed Response Vehicle
An armed response vehicle is a type of police car operated by the British police. ARVs are crewed by Authorised Firearms Officers to respond to emergency telephone calls believed to involve firearms or other high-risk situations...
s. SFOs receive a higher level of training than AFOs, in areas such as building assault and specialist weapon usage. The common role of an SFO is to assault premises involved in a siege situation.
Firearms and the British police
The usage of firearms by the police is covered by statute (such as the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984
Police 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 Vehicle
Armed Response Vehicle
An armed response vehicle is a type of police car operated by the British police. ARVs are crewed by Authorised Firearms Officers to respond to emergency telephone calls believed to involve firearms or other high-risk situations...
s in certain areas, 'Standing Authority' is granted to carry personal sidearms. 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.
The majority of officers serving in "regular" British Police forces do not routinely carry firearms, with the three exceptions being the Civil Nuclear Constabulary
Civil Nuclear Constabulary
The Civil Nuclear Constabulary is a special police force responsible for providing law enforcement and security at civil nuclear installations, and for nuclear materials in transit, throughout the United Kingdom....
, Ministry of Defence Police
Ministry of Defence Police
The Ministry of Defence Police is a civilian police force which is part of the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence. The force is part of the larger government agency, the Ministry of Defence Police and Guarding Agency , together with the Ministry of Defence Guard Service...
and 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....
. To provide each police force with the capability to deal with armed crime, they each operate a 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...
. The firearms unit is responsible for operating armed response vehicle
Armed Response Vehicle
An armed response vehicle is a type of police car operated by the British police. ARVs are crewed by Authorised Firearms Officers to respond to emergency telephone calls believed to involve firearms or other high-risk situations...
s crewed by AFOs, which respond to emergency calls believed to involve firearms.
Training
Authorised Firearms OfficerAuthorised 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 wishing to become Specialist Firearms Officers are required to attend an eight week training course at the National Police Firearms Training Centre in Gravesend, Kent
Gravesend, Kent
Gravesend is a town in northwest Kent, England, on the south bank of the Thames, opposite Tilbury in Essex. It is the administrative town of the Borough of Gravesham and, because of its geographical position, has always had an important role to play in the history and communications of this part of...
. However, the potential recruit is only invited to attend the centre if they have successfully passed written psychological tests, and have been security cleared. Usually, the role of an SFO is to intervene in situations that are beyond the control of AFOs, who crew armed response vehicles. Potential SFOs are extensively trained on the safe use of specialist firearms, method of entry
Door breaching
Door breaching is a process used by military, police, or emergency services to force open closed and/or locked doors. A wide range of methods are available, one or more of which may be used in any given situation...
techniques to gain access to premises quickly, abseiling and 'fast rope' skills, scenario training such as being instructed to search a specially adapted training area of an aircraft, extensive use of tear gas and stun grenades, safe handling of rescued hostages and rescue techniques, computer simulated 'war games' of potential threats such as terrorist attacks, and training in the use of protective clothing against CBRN
CBRN
CBRN is an initialism for chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear. It is used to refer to situations in which any of these four hazards have presented themselves. The term CBRN is a replacement for the cold war term NBC , which had replaced the term ABC that was used in the fifties...
attack. In 2005 former SAS
Special Air Service
Special Air Service or SAS is a corps of the British Army constituted on 31 May 1950. They are part of the United Kingdom Special Forces and have served as a model for the special forces of many other countries all over the world...
trainers expressed concern about the skills and psychological suitability of police officers they had worked with, some of whom appeared "trigger happy
Trigger Happy
Trigger Happy may refer to:* Trigger Happy , a book by Steven Poole* Trigger Happy or Mad Dog Time, a 1996 film* Triggerhappy , a fictional character* Trigger Happy TV, a British television show...
" and made major mistakes in exercises.
Legal use of police firearms
Both AFOsAuthorised 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...
and SFOs are only authorised to discharge a firearm when in accordance to section. 117 of the Police And Criminal Evidence Act (1984). They are trained to fire once at the central mass
Torso
Trunk or torso is an anatomical term for the central part of the many animal bodies from which extend the neck and limbs. The trunk includes the thorax and abdomen.-Major organs:...
, which maximises the likelihood of the shot achieving immediate incapacitation. After they have incapacitated the subject they carry out a further risk assessment on the injured subject, to justify any further shots if they still present a threat.
Operation Kratos
Operation Kratos
Operation Kratos referred to tactics developed by London's Metropolitan Police Service for dealing with suspected suicide bombers, most notably firing shots to the head without warning....
contingency plans stated that firearms officers could shoot to kill, aiming for the head, rather than the usual practice of the central mass. This due to the possibility of suspected suicide bombers wearing explosives around the torso which could be detonated by impact, and to the immediately incapacitating effect of damage to the brain.
Common SFO specialisations
- TacticMilitary tacticsMilitary tactics, the science and art of organizing an army or an air force, are the techniques for using weapons or military units in combination for engaging and defeating an enemy in battle. Changes in philosophy and technology over time have been reflected in changes to military tactics. In...
al MedicMedicMedic is a general term for a person involved in medicine, especially emergency or first-response medicine, such as an emergency medical technician, paramedic, or a military member trained in battlefield medicine. Also the term is used toward a Nurse in pre-hospital care and/or emergency... - RifleRifleA rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...
OfficerPolice officerA police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
(Marksman) - Method of EntryDoor breachingDoor breaching is a process used by military, police, or emergency services to force open closed and/or locked doors. A wide range of methods are available, one or more of which may be used in any given situation...
Specialist - Advanced DriverDrivingDriving is the controlled operation and movement of a land vehicle, such as a car, truck or bus.Although direct operation of a bicycle and a mounted animal are commonly referred to as riding, such operators are legally considered drivers and are required to obey the rules of the road...
- Trained Negotiator
- Close Protection Officer (BodyguardBodyguardA bodyguard is a type of security operative or government agent who protects a person—usually a famous, wealthy, or politically important figure—from assault, kidnapping, assassination, stalking, loss of confidential information, terrorist attack or other threats.Most important public figures such...
) - Chemical, BiologicalBiological warfareBiological warfare is the use of biological toxins or infectious agents such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi with intent to kill or incapacitate humans, animals or plants as an act of war...
, RadiologicalRadiationIn physics, radiation is a process in which energetic particles or energetic waves travel through a medium or space. There are two distinct types of radiation; ionizing and non-ionizing...
and NuclearNuclear warfareNuclear warfare, or atomic warfare, is a military conflict or political strategy in which nuclear weaponry is detonated on an opponent. Compared to conventional warfare, nuclear warfare can be vastly more destructive in range and extent of damage...
(CBRNCBRNCBRN is an initialism for chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear. It is used to refer to situations in which any of these four hazards have presented themselves. The term CBRN is a replacement for the cold war term NBC , which had replaced the term ABC that was used in the fifties...
) Specialist - Gold Silver Bronze command structureGold Silver Bronze command structureA gold–silver–bronze command structure is used by emergency services of the United Kingdom to establish a hierarchical framework for the command and control of major incidents and disasters...
Coordinator - Tactical Advisor
External links
- Metropolitan Police Service, CO19
- SFO, private site
- Sussex Constabulary Firearms Unit
- Devon & Cornwall Constabulary Firearms Unit
- Thames Valley SFOs
- Tayside Police Firearms Unit
- "Limarcharlie" private website
- Guardian article
- Ministry of Defence official site
- Police Service of Northern Ireland official site
- Civil Nuclear Constabulary official site
- Lancashire Police official site
- Kent Constabulary firearms unit
- Surrey Police, Firearms unit
- Independent article
- BBC article on police arming debate
- Ministry of Defence Police Guarding Service
- Gwent Constabulary, firearms unit