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The Chief Constable and Police Authority of each force decides the number of firearms officers and type of police firearms available. In 2010, 5.56 mm calibre carbines were widely introduced in case of an attack similar to the 2008 Mumbai attacks. [2] [3] Firearms issued to Authorised Firearms Officers include:
The use of firearms by the police in England and Wales is covered by statute (such as the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 and the Human Rights Act 1998), policy (such as the Home Office Code of Practice on Police use of Firearms and Less Lethal Weapons and the ACPO Manual of Guidance on Police Use of Firearms) and common law.
A firearms unit is an armed unit within each territorial police force in the United Kingdom. [1] For the most part, the police forces of the United Kingdom are unarmed; however, all have firearms units to provide the police force with the capability to deal with armed criminals.
The UK Home Office reports annual statistics on the use of firearms by police forces. The use of firearms is recorded by the police department which publishes detailed statistics on the annual use of firearms dating back to 2003. One report published figures for 2003–2013; [45] later years are published individually. [46]
Additionally, three specialist UK police forces those being the British Transport Police, the Ministry of Defence Police, and the Civil Nuclear Constabulary are not included either. Although to note the BTP is a routinely unarmed police force that maintains its own dedicated firearms unit in the same way as most other police forces in the UK.
At its formation in 1829, the police service did not routinely carry firearms, but the Home Secretary later authorised the Commissioner to purchase fifty pairs of flintlock pistols for use in emergencies—such as those that involved the use of firearms.
Shotguns (Section 2 firearms under the 1968 Act as amended) are defined in UK law as smoothbore firearms with barrels not shorter than 24 inches (61 cm) and a bore not larger than 2 inches (5.1 cm) in diameter, no revolving cylinder, and either no magazine or a non-detachable magazine that is not capable of holding more than two cartridges, [5 ...
The police service is sometimes criticised for incidents that result in deaths due to police firearms usage or in police custody, as well as the lack of competence and impartiality in investigations (in England and Wales only) by the Independent Police Complaints Commission after these events. [152] The Economist stated in 2009: