Gloucestershire police carry guns at all times
Concerns have been raised over police officers patrolling the streets of Gloucester with guns.
Armed police attended 51 incidents in the county over the past six months but officers from the Armed Response Unit carry handguns at all times, even when they are dealing with non-emergency or routine situations.
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The sight of policemen openly carrying guns has sparked fears among some city residents.
Reports have come in of armed police officers in Tesco car park off St Oswald's Road and during a recent rugby match at Kingsholm.
Director of Gloucester Emergency Accommodation Resource, in Southgate Street, Brian Jones, which offers help to the homeless, said: "I was concerned to see two police officers with handguns in full view walking across Tesco's car park recently.
"There was clearly no emergency and they were in no hurry.
"I do not expect to see armed police walking around in this country – I am very concerned."
Another concerned resident said they were surprised to see armed police at a recent rugby game.
"There were two policemen carrying sidearms during the Gloucester versus Ospreys rugby match at Kingsholm recently," he said.
"I have no idea why they were there or how long they were staying but they had no sense of urgency – they were just standing there watching the game."
A mother, who wished to remain anonymous, also called The Citizen to complain.
She said: "I was walking through the city centre with my 11-year-old daughter and two policemen wearing those blue boiler-suits were coming towards us.
"My daughter said 'look at those policemen, they've got guns'.
"It was not a pleasant sight as I was always proud of the fact that our police didn't carry guns."
Gloucestershire Constabulary spokeswoman Kate Nelmes said: "Our policy, which has been in place since November 2007 and is in line with that of most other police forces is that Armed Response officers carry their sidearms at all times as part of their standard equipment.
"As dealing with firearms incidents is a relatively small part of their daily business they will be seen dealing with routine police incidents or on general patrol, with sidearms.
"So far this operational year – April until September – our firearms officers have dealt with seven incidents at tier one level and 44 incidents at tier two level.
"This compares with figures for a similar period last year, when there was one incident at tier one level and 67 incidents at tier two level.
"Tier one is when they are sent to a scene in readiness and tier two is when they are actually required to arm themselves and actively become involved in dealing with an incident."
60 Comments
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by cncnncncnc
Friday, January 20 2012, 1:13AM
“I don't even know why the Citizen have bothered to write this article. You would have to be pretty brain dead to honestly believe that Gloucestershire does not have a permanent armed presence on the streets.
How on earth do the public expect a quick response to a firearms incident? It's no good having nobody on duty that is not part of an armed unit as it was many years ago because then you would have had to phone them up and get them to come in to work, brief them as to what had happened and deploy them. That would probably take 2 hours. Having armed officers on duty means they can be immediately deployed to an incident.
The public on the one hand do not seem to want to give the police the means to do the job and then, when they do not respond quickly enough they moan at them. Grow up!”
by Anon, Gloucester
Sunday, October 11 2009, 10:26PM
“Get a grip. I agree with Peter from cheltenham. A few months down the line when an armed criminal guns down a few people, while police were present but couldn't do anything as all they had were batons, people will be complaining again about how british police are not adequately armed to protect the public.”
by Joe K, Barton & Tredworth
Thursday, October 08 2009, 7:53PM
“'"I know a few police officers and they are racist, angry, judgemental and generally just not nice people".
Lester, why not bring this to the attention of the Police, so that they can be dealt with' -
Hello Lester the Jester, Glos
Because the police will not police their own. Ask Carol Ajinkya if you don't believe me...”
by Hessen, Chelt.
Thursday, October 08 2009, 6:48PM
“Everyone over 18, should be allowed to carry a firearm, once trained and certified.. after all, we live in a democracy, and it's only fair that if Constabulary bods carry firearms, so should the man on the street.”
by Martin, Gloucester
Thursday, October 08 2009, 6:46PM
“Just look at the other two stories on here relating to gunshots being heard around the Eastern Avenue area. I for one support the police carrying their handguns. Gun crime is becoming more and more real problem and there's only so much a regular bobby can do with pepper spray and a baton. We live in ever increasing dangerous times and it's time that situations such as the Eastern Avenue one are realised as a real threat.”
by What a shame, Gloucestershire
Thursday, October 08 2009, 6:15PM
“What a shame that the most vociferous person on here, (who doesn't have a job that occupies him for much of the day) is Lester the Jester who just hates the Police, plain and simple.
In his absence, we might actually have a sensible discussion on here, and not his kneejerk 'hate the police' attitude to everything those poor boys and girls do.
I support the Police. They keep me safe in my bed at night, for which I am grateful.
Lester the Jester, learn some gratitude and respect for people doing a job you can't do, or otherwise join up and see how you get on!”
by Ian, Cheltenham
Thursday, October 08 2009, 6:03PM
“I am a big fan of those fly-on-the-wall police TV programes we see like Street Wars, and its not so much the fact the police carry guns that bothers me, its the very aggressive quasi-military uniform that goes with it and the usually very aggressive attitude displayed by the officers. Your average police officer tends to have a superior attitude, give him a gun and he thinks he is Rambo. Ian from FoD mentions the German police having guns, like all the continental forces, but they carry a small 9mm pistol in a discrete holster which blends in with their uniform where as our armed police wander round with guns in a very prominent open holster or even have a carbine slung accross their chest like something out of a war zone.”
by Hello Lester the Jester, Glos
Thursday, October 08 2009, 5:57PM
“Lester the Jester, of course, the Chief Constable of Police Service's has no aspirations, nor do other Police Officers who want to work up the ladder.
I know several more Police Officers than your goodself, and many of them have degree's, but why I need to argue this point, I don't know.
"I know a few police officers and they are racist, angry, judgemental and generally just not nice people".
Lester, why not bring this to the attention of the Police, so that they can be dealt with.”
by geraint, gloucester
Thursday, October 08 2009, 3:28PM
“Cops with firearms at the hip, when not specifically on armed response duty, is just not British. What's wrong with keeping their firearms out of sight in a shoulder holster?”
by Ian, FoD
Thursday, October 08 2009, 1:44PM
“What a fuss about nothing.
I spent years in Germany and all the Police had guns but I cannot remember them using them. In fact I pointedly remember them not using them when they might have.
Lester, you are a twonk. I am a computer science graduate but you make me ashamed to admit it. I know a lot of police offcers (having worked on Police systems) and there are a lot of graduates, it's almost a requirement for progression in the service. There are a lot more Phds too, certainly more than in the IT companies I have worked for. They take mature entrants, if you think you can do better why not give it a go?”