Following recent high profile court cases relating to armed policing units, John Tizard, PCC for Bedfordshire, has been discussing the policy and strategy relating to firearms policing with senior officers in Bedfordshire police and has met members of the Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire armed policing unit.  

The PCC said: “We are fortunate in this country that the majority of police officers do not carry firearms and that we have specialist teams of highly professional firearms officers, who are highly trained in skilled in handling of firearms. They are psychologically assessed on a regular basis.  

“Unfortunately, the deployment of armed policing teams is necessary given the high levels of gun, knife and other violent crime in the county and across the country, for security at the airport and for other specialist operations.  

“Despite having these units readily available and the command structure in place to deploy them on a daily basis as necessary, an officer has not had to discharge their weapon for many years in Bedfordshire. This is testimony to their professional skills, training and rules of engagement. 

“These officers must be very clear on both the legal and local police service regulations and rules on when force – lethal or other – can and can’t be used. Thousands of hours of tactical training is invested to ensure they are experts in finding a non-lethal manner for subduing a suspect. 

“I was pleased to learn that members of our joint-force armed policing unit become part of this team voluntarily. The working relationship within the unit means that peer support is readily available and welfare support following any incident is prioritised by the leadership. 

“It is very important that police officers are entitled to protection when undertaking their duties but must always be accountable for their actions. No one including police officers at whatever rank can ever be above the law.” 

The PCC has spent the last couple of weeks meeting with officers in various policing teams including firearms, and this week visited the site of the old Papworth hospital site in Cambridgeshire to observe new recruits to the armed unit training on scenario-based tactics. 

Armed policing is one of several specialist services provided through the Joint Protective Services collaboration between Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire police services. 

As he proceeds with the further implementation of the Police and Crime Plan for 2024-28, the PCC will be requiring the Chief Constable to ensure that all specialised units in Bedfordshire Police are appropriately resourced and act ethically, and that every resident in Bedfordshire, urban and rural, benefits from equitable, efficient and effective policing. 

If you are interested in working for one of the specialist units at Bedfordshire Police, visit our website.