Number of call-outs for firearms police doubles (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Number of call-outs for firearms police doubles

ARMED police officers were deployed to more incidents in Wiltshire this year than last. They attended 95 incidents, a 50 per cent increase on the 63 call-outs they received in 2003/4.

But Inspector Charlie Armstrong, who has been in charge of the firearms unit, based in Devizes, since July, said the figures do not mean the number of incidents has risen.

"It's down to the fact that the police command structure has improved with formal training to officers who decide when they deploy the firearms unit so we will naturally see an increase," she said.

Insp Armstrong said it was a good thing because it proved they had robust controls in place.

"The police have a duty to respond appropriately to protect people and unarmed officers," she said. "We go through a major decision-making process before we decide to deploy firearms officers.

"And if we have very little information we need to go prepared for the worst."

Firearms officers are called upon if crews receive information or intelligence that someone has a firearm or weapon in their possession, they have access to a firearm or they are dangerous to themselves, a member of the public or a police officer.

Insp Armstrong, who has been an authorised firearms officer for seven years, refused to comment on how many armed officers Wiltshire has, saying she did not want to give away the constabulary's strength, but she is one of four women on the unit.

"Firearms officers are specially selected and trained," said Insp Armstrong. "I did officer safety training and from that I realised that not everyone has the co-ordination or decision making ability to be a firearms officer.

"You will hear arguments that all police officers should be armed but we just could not achieve that. Not everybody can make the right decision when the adrenalin is running.

"We need to see strong evidence of them being a good general-duties officer, showing they can deal with personal responsibility, motivate themselves, deal with conflict aggression and hostility and can safely resolve these incidents."

It is a testament to the officers' patient negotiating skills, she said, that 'police have guns pointed at them but no-one had been shot at in years in the county'. She added: "It shows incredible self-control and they should be praised."

Insp Armstrong, who was a sergeant on the unit, said officers were more confident now a less lethal option was available to them.

The Taser, a stun gun that releases an 50,000-volt electric shock, was introduced to firearms police in the Wiltshire Constabulary in January.

"It's proving to be its own tremendous deterrent," said Insp Armstrong.

"We decided it was exceptionally important to train with it. There have been incidents where officers have been deployed with it but we haven't Tasered anybody yet.

"It's much better than CS-ing them, they comply with the police requests without using any other force."

In Trowbridge on Monday a youngster threatened to harm himself with a six-inch knife, but Insp Armstrong said a glimpse of the Taser gun prevented him from hurting himself or anyone else.

And she said in her own career she had never been forced to pull the trigger of a gun.

Insp Armstrong said they were increasingly being called to incidents of people brandishing imitation firearms.

Officers had no choice but to respond because at the time an alert is raised no-one could be sure whether a weapon was fake or not.

"It surprises me that people are surprised when we turn up," said Insp Armstrong.

"Any report will be treated with the utmost seriousness.

"People need to use them (imitation weapons) responsibly and within their homes and private premises and not within the public arena where they understandably cause people considerable concern."

What the armed response unit do

Last week two officers were called to the Chippenham area where a bull had escaped from an abattoir.

"It was a big animal that needed to be despatched as humanely as possible," Insp Armstrong said.

In September armed police raided a house in Toothill, Swindon after reports there were unlicensed firearms being kept at the premises. A 35-year-old man and a woman aged 19 were arrested on suspicion of possessing heroin.

In April six armed response vehicles and ten firearms officers were called to a clash at London Road, Calne where a 20-year-old man claimed to have a gun and threatened to kill his former partner.

Six days later armed police went into action in Chippenham after a youth was spotted with a gun in New Road.

It was later discovered he had been using a paintball gun and police warned parents to think twice before allowing their children to purchase the look-a-like toys.