Almost half of Met police officers want added firearm specialists, MPF reports

According to a survey by the Metropolitan Police Federation (MPF), 43.6 per cent of metropolitan police believe there should be more firearm personnel. The survey, with 11,000 participants, found a total of 26 per cent thought officers should be routinely armed, compared with the 20 per cent who said so in an England and Wales-wide survey last year. The survey also showed: 57 per cent of officers who responded said they would be prepared to carry a gun if the Commissioner and the Home Secretary made a decision that all MPS officers should routinely carry a firearm whilst on duty; 12 per cent of officers surveyed said under no circumstances would they carry a firearm whilst on duty; and 8.2 per cent of respondents said they would resign from the MPS rather than accept an order to routinely carry a firearm whilst on duty; and 86.5 per cent said they would not. Ken Marsh, Chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, commented: “We live in dangerous and unpredictable times. London is a major world capital and our members are tasked with keeping the millions who live here and tourists who flock to visit the city safe and secure. “It is more important than ever that Metropolitan Police officers have the right equipment to keep themselves, their colleagues and the public safe. And also that we have the right number of officers with that equipment available when they are required.” He added: “We often hear people talk about what police officers want and we can now say with some certainty that our members feel that more Met Police Officers should be carrying a Taser on London streets. We can also say that we know their views on the prospect of being armed. “When police officers carry a Taser or gun, there is a huge responsibility – not to mention cost and specific training and welfare packages for officers concerned – so we need to start to have discussions about what our members are asking for with a new Commissioner and the Mayor of London.”