EXCL Former Met chief piles pressure on Theresa May to wrap up armed policing probe
3 min read
Theresa May is under pressure to beef up the legal protections for armed police, as the former head of the Met Police urged her to wrap up a review into the issue launched by David Cameron.
An independent probe into the law around armed policing was ordered by the then-Prime Minister in December 2015 following the Paris terror attacks, where Islamist extremists launched a series of suicide bombings and shooting attacks killing 137 and injuring thousands.
In an article for The House magazine, Lord Hogan-Howe - who served as the Metropolitan Police chief for six years - called on ministers to conclude the review and show “compassion” to officers who are investigated after firing their weapons in the line of duty.
He said: “As Metropolitan Police Commissioner I raised concerns with David Cameron about the legal position of armed officers, and in December 2015, following the terrorist attack in Paris, the then-Prime Minister ordered a review.
"He understood immediately that we needed more firearms officers to deal with marauding terrorists. He also understood my concern that we may struggle to get the necessary volunteers given the way officers were feeling about the treatment of their colleagues when they had shot someone.
"Two and a half years on, with the issue unresolved, I believe the time is right to complete that review."
According to Government figures the number of firearms operations in 2017 was 15,705, an increase of 7% from the previous year. But in only ten of those incidents was a weapon discharged, including during the attacks on Westminster.
The former Met commissioner said these figures proved that police were not trigger happy, and he called for investigations into armed incidents to be wrapped up quickly and for police not to be treated as criminal suspects.
He added: “When their own life is in danger they have to react quickly and with good judgement. We cannot afford for them to be concerned that for years to come they will second-guessed in minute detail.
“We have the terrible problem that we employ human beings who can only work within the limits of human physiology rather than the forensic objectivity of the law. In my view, it is time that the law was updated to show officers the human compassion that their extraordinary courage deserves.”
The Home Office has insisted that work on the 2015 review is still underway.
Minister Baroness Williams said: “It is important that firearms officers are supported to make the difficult decisions necessary to protect the public, and are able to carry out their duties without fearing that a justified use of force will damage their careers. It is also essential that decisions by the police and to use force of any kind are subject to proper scrutiny.
“This is why the former Home Secretary commissioned officials to review the legal and procedural framework governing police use of firearms and post-incident investigation. The review is ongoing.”
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