UK

Met Police chief calls for more legal protections as army on standby to replace firearms officers

8 months ago
Met Police chief calls for more legal protections as army on standby to replace firearms officers

The head of the Metropolitan Police has demanded increased legal protections for officers after a revolt by armed police left the army poised to fill in.

Soldiers are on standby for armed police after scores of Metropolitan Police officers stood down from firearms duties following a murder charge against one of their colleagues.

The force’s commissioner Sir Mark Rowley welcomed a review into the situation by Home Secretary Suella Braverman.

And in an open letter he told her to “let the police police”.

“It is essential that we have a system which commands the confidence of officers and the communities they serve,” he wrote.

“Of course, where wrongdoing takes place, the public expect us to be held to the highest standards.

“I have been clear on this in all areas of policing, and the use of force must be no exception.

“The system that judges officers’ actions should be rooted in integrity and decisions should be reached swiftly, competently and without fear or favour.

“A review is needed to address accountability mechanisms, including the policies and practices of the Independent Office for Police Conduct and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), ideally with a focus on the threshold for investigating police use of force and involvement in pursuits.”

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Met Police: Army on standby

He added: “The review announced today is therefore a very welcome development.

“I have spoken publicly in recent weeks about the need to let the police police.

“Our commitment to delivering change in the Met is unflinching and we are making positive progress, but that progress is undermined by a system not set up to help officers succeed.”

What legal protections do armed police officers have?

Most police officers in the UK do not routinely carry firearms. Where firearms support is needed, it is carried out by specially accredited firearms officers (AFOs) who are trained, including to assess intelligence and threats.

Duties include responding to high-risk incidents; taking part in operations where intelligence suggests firearms support may be required; providing public reassurance at events; providing enhanced and ballistic medical aid to help save lives and working closely with partners, including the military.

Despite making important and often time-critical decisions, they are still accountable under the law for their actions.

Under the law, armed police officers have the right to discharge a firearm to make a lawful arrest, defend themselves from unlawful violence and to protect others from harm – if they have reasonable grounds for believing there is an imminent danger to life.

The Home Office code of practice on police use of firearms in England and Wales stipulates “all force used must be reasonable in the circumstances”.

In Scottish law, a police officer is not entitled to discharge a firearm against a person unless the officer has reasonable grounds for believing that the person is committing – or about to commit – an action likely to endanger the life or cause serious injury to the officer or any other person, and there is no other way to prevent the danger.

As with all use of force by police officers, if the force used results in death, then the European Convention of Human Rights only allows “the use of force which is no more than absolutely necessary”.

The question of whether a use of force was absolutely necessary in the circumstances is one that depends to a large degree on the facts of the individual case.

The onus is on the individual officer to justify their actions in court.

Read more:
Met chief’s letter to home secretary in full
Will this force change in how police shootings are reported?

More than 100 officers have reportedly handed in permits allowing them to carry weapons, prompting Scotland Yard to turn to the military for assistance.

The crisis has emerged after a police officer was charged with murder over the shooting of Chris Kaba, 24, who was killed in September last year in Streatham Hill, south London.

CHRIS KABA
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A police officer has been charged with the murder of Chris Kaba (pictured)

The officer accused of his murder is named only as NX121 after a district judge granted an anonymity order.

Ms Braverman said: “We depend on our brave firearms officers to protect us from the most dangerous and violent in society.

“In the interest of public safety, they have to make split-second decisions under extraordinary pressures.

“They mustn’t fear ending up in the dock for carrying out their duties. Officers risking their lives to keep us safe have my full backing and I will do everything in my power to support them.

“That’s why I have launched a review to ensure they have the confidence to do their jobs while protecting us all.”