Anyone police or Armed police ?

[Salop Matt]

Just being nosey do firearms cops get paid anymore than a regular PC ? If so is it much more pay and is it easyr to get into than dog handling and traffic ?

 

[lord_seagrave]

Bit of a tangent, but am I correct in thinking that the MOD police are routinely armed?

 

LS

[PaulABF]

Yes, MOD police are armed.

[neil smith]

I am not a police officer but I shoot regularly with members of the Met police's Blue team shooters, the "blue team" is the name of the shooting club within the force, some of its members are on the armed side of the force & Im certain its not easier to get into than traffic or dog handling, the pay reflects the responsibility to some degree but I do not know exact figures im afraid.

 

N

[Curly87]

I believe you have to be within the police force for 15 years before you can train for the armed response unit, or at least that what i heard these days. might have changed now

 

my old man used to be an armed officer about 15 years back after he worked in CID, i think the police force has changed a fair bit now tho! its all sitting at desks filling out paper work!

[deershooter]

I worked with the Lincolnshire police for 15 years up till 2000

 

There is no differance in pay if you walk the beat, or you are traffic ,or firearms trained. Dog handlers get an allowence for the dog and CID get a clothing allowence as uniform is not used

 

All Lincolnshire traffic officers are firearms trained

Edited November 6, 2008 by deershooter

[Maiden22]

.

Edited December 15, 2008 by Maiden22

[leaseone]

15 years is a long time, we have some cracking good shots in the armed forces and they have the disapline so why make them wait 15 years

[deershooter]

They dont wait 15 years in that case every armed officer would be over 36 years of age allowing for 2 years probationary training

 

Deershooter

[Breastman]

You don't have to wait 15 years to go for an ARV position, or at least you don't have to for the force that covers Leeds. One of my frineds who lives down there has only been in the Police for 4 years and he entered the program this year. Might be different depending on the need for new blood?

 

Mark

[Bull]

Served for 31 yres in Birmingham City Police /Surrey Police. Authorised Firearms Officer for 5 yrs (B'ham) and my last 10 yrs. in Surrey as Operational Dog Sergeant.

Any officer completed his/her probationary periiod may apply for any post.

Firearms officers do NOT receive any additional financial incentive.

Dog handlers do NOT receive an allowance in most forces but are allowed an hour a day to feed and exercise their dog(s).

Hope this clarifes things.

Bull

[Saltashshooter]

Thats what i want train as , Armed Response but in plymouth i believe its called the TAG , im not entirely sure (tactical Aid Group)

[Hunter]

Thats what i want train as , Armed Response but in plymouth i believe its called the TAG , im not entirely sure (tactical Aid Group)

 

Tactical Aid Group is not the same as armed police officers. The TAG police are involved in drug searches of property, and are there to support the police in breaking down doors etc

 

Police officers may apply for firearms officer positions after two years of probationary duty from the begining of their career. Armed police dont sit around the office waiting to grab their guns and dash to the scene. Armed police usually run a daily duty such as traffic policing, and will respond to situations where unarmed police need assistance in cases were an offender is (or is thought to be) carrying a bladed weapon or firearm. But all this comes at a price to the officer, more responsibility means more training and more paperwork, and it usually takes more then two years to gain application to Firearms as its a popular choice of application within the police, so selection standards are high, but rewarding if you are able to join.

 

I was studying to join the police, with firearms in mind untill I opted for the fire service instead.. quite a difference

[deershooter]

Even Special Constables carry out drug searches and enforcement in Lincolnshire I was trained in the rapid entry technque (using the enforcer to gain rapid entery to properties ) the only duties that they dont get involved with is firearms training and driving high performance (traffic cars)we had anual riot training exercises and 3 monthly hold and restraint training including the use of CS spray which is actually a firearm which we all carried

 

for those not sure about this the description of a firearm is "Any leathal Barreled wepon or divice which can fire any nocsious liquid or gas"

 

Deershooter

[Dirty Harry]

I became a police firearms officer after 4.5 years.

Please don't think it's the be all and end all of policing, it is not.

I would question anyone who wanted to join the police because they wanted to be an AFO.

If you want to do the macho gun thing join the Army.

 

Harry

[Dirty Harry]

Even Special Constables carry out drug searches and enforcement in Lincolnshire I was trained in the rapid entry technque (using the enforcer to gain rapid entery to properties ) the only duties that they dont get involved with is firearms training and driving high performance (traffic cars)we had anual riot training exercises and 3 monthly hold and restraint training including the use of CS spray which is actually a firearm which we all carried

 

for those not sure about this the description of a firearm is "Any leathal Barreled wepon or divice which can fire any nocsious liquid or gas"

 

Deershooter

 

Sorry Deershooter but you have quoted one of my pet hates.

 

A can of CS is not a firearm. It is a tin of CS.

 

A firearm is a lethal barreled weapon capable of discharging a shot, missile of blah blah blah. Can't remember it all.

 

CS Spray however is a prohibited weapon covered by section 5 of the firearms act, but that does not make it a lethal barelled weapon.

 

Regards

Harry

[Curly87]

hmmmm yeah i believe that 15 years was told to me by one copper giving a careers speech to our school when we were about 14, i dont think he wanted to give us an idea that we could all run around with guns at the age of 20 that sneaky ****** i could have been running around the streets with a gun by now....

[death from below]

Go for it anyway....you'll probably find that your chosen path will differ greatly once you are in the force compared to what you thought you wanted to do when you joined. I wanted to be a CID officer until it took me a couple of days to realise most of them are the ones who couldn't make it in uniform so had to find another less taxing role.....investigating beat Officers jobs for them.

 

You'll probably find that your firearms aspirations will disappear once you are in and doing shifts.

 

DFB

[GJUK]

(wow there are quite a few poilice on here) . At least none of the posts will get stolen eh!

Jon

[bobt]

I was told that the police will not let shooter become armed response as we are more likely to use the gun,they want people who are not likely to shoot?

 

as to the age thing, the 6 armed police who came to me last year, the oldest was about 35 the rest were early 20s.

[Lloyd90]

My rugby coach has just retired from the Police after serving since he left Uni!

 

He said Armed Response in my area (South Wales) is one of the most boring jobs lol! Your always on call and since we live in a relatively low crime area theres never any nutters with guns or anything!

 

If you lived in London then it would probally be a different story, but its hardly like "Hot Fuzz" is it ? haha

[Hunter]

The problem with the publics negative feelings (in general) for the police is presented here. They know so little about what the police actually are and do in their daily jobs, that there are so many roumers and myths giving them a bad name. The media is the worst for this. :unsure:

 

If you have an interest, or even dislike in the police, you should study it for a while, the different role, oppertunities, and types of work involved. I learnt so much about the police I see them in a very different way to how I and the rest of our class saw them before a years study. (Yes a whole year!)

I still get that itchy feeling to work for the police.. prehaps oneday

Edited November 8, 2008 by Hunter

[Paul@Ribchester]

The only good thing about it is the pension and even that has changed for new recruits now...........

[Pedro]

When I started I always wanted to be in traffic, riding bikes. Unfortunately, I love doing most of the stuff they'd stick me on for, so that was a bit of a no no :unsure:

 

Public order was a hoot and has probably been the best stepping stone into all my future stuff.

 

Firearms in the Met is a 2 stage affair, (3-4 if you count the specialist ARV's and then the AFO's). You can do the basic firearms course, which allows you to carry a firearm in a protection role, but to progress further, you need to do the "ARV" course.

 

The basic firearms course is flippin hard, not only regarding the shooting, but also the tactics, which most people who fail seem to dip it on

 

This basic course allows you to work in a protection role to a certain degree.

 

At the mo I'm at stage one, but hopefully within the next 6 months things should change, and I hope to do the ARV course.

 

Being a firearms officer certainly wasn't what I joined for and it's been a bit of sideways career move for a few years. Hopefully that's all about to change

 

P.

[bigt1754]

I'm a serving police officer in Cambs.

 

Here you can be a firearms officer when you have completed your probationary 2 years. The ARV course is part of the initial traing once you have completed the basic and tactics phases. They DO get paid extra under the governments special priority payment scheme as do other departments that qualify for the payment (a very contensious area for those who dont get paid.)

 

I had an attachment to the department last month and I hope to apply in the near future. I thnk there are local variations on the theme of the firarms response teams around the country, so i dont think there is a standard answer to the original question.

 

Hope that helps a bit, oh and thank you Hunter for your objective comments above. We have now started a massive project which will be rolled out nationally, called putting people first hoping to despell the myths and roumers!! :unsure: