{"id":371579,"date":"2024-07-31T11:52:33","date_gmt":"2024-07-31T11:52:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sypfcopperconnection.co.uk\/?p=371579"},"modified":"2024-07-31T11:52:33","modified_gmt":"2024-07-31T11:52:33","slug":"drop-in-number-of-firearms-officers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sypfcopperconnection.co.uk\/?p=371579","title":{"rendered":"Drop In Number Of Firearms Officers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Officers are being put off working in firearms departments due to a fear of being jailed for split-second decisions, South Yorkshire Police Federation has said, as it emerged that the number of armed officers in England and Wales had decreased for the fifth year.<\/p>\n

A new Government report<\/a> found that there were a total of 6,473 armed officers in England and Wales as of 31 March 2024, a decrease of 3% (178) compared with 31 March 2023 (6,651).<\/p>\n

South Yorkshire Police Federation Chair Steve Kent said: \u201cThis decrease is concerning. Officers have real worries about whether they have the protection of the law and the protection of the Government.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want our officers to carry firearms and to put their lives on the line, but sometimes they\u2019re putting their liberty on the line in cases where they have to make horrendous split-second decisions.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had a live firearms incident last year in our force when the force supported the officers and there was no issue whatsoever. But there is a lack of confidence across the country following on from some of the issues that have happened in the Met. It\u2019s just unacceptable.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe public wants there to be firearms officers. Quite rightly, they expect them to be there in case of any terrorist attacks and other high-risk attacks. And yet we\u2019re going to throw officers to the wolves if things don\u2019t quite go right. It\u2019s absolutely ridiculous. Officers wanting to join firearms will be put off it by what\u2019s going on in the Met. Why would they want to put themselves and their family through that?\u201d<\/p>\n