Page 25 - topcoverissue19

SPRING 2024 TOP COVER 25

30 would probably bring the curtain
down on his international hockey
playing career. Instead, he switched his
ambition to trying to climb the ladder
within SO19. After a couple of years
bedding into his role on the ARVs, he
was keen to take the next step.
“I really enjoyed the challenges
of working on the armed response
vehicles,” he told Top Cover. “It was
interesting that you’d turn up at an
incident and be expected to be the
font of all knowledge for local officers,
including local duty officers, often
giving tactical advice and deploying
immediately whilst decisions were
being made behind the scenes.”
A good example of this was a tragic
incident in New Addington in 1994
when Sgt Derek Robertson was fatally
stabbed as he responded to an early
morning armed robbery at a post
office. ARVs were quickly on scene and
deployed alongside specialist firearms
dogs who had immediately picked up a
possible scent.
Unaware at the time, the assailants
were from the estate where the murder
occurred; after a painstakingly slow
track and thorough search, a discarded
scabbard that had contained the
weapon was found followed by the
main assailant who was hiding in a
coal bunker at the rear of a house. He to progress within SO19, he knew his incidents and changes in the actions
was later convicted of murder. playing days were behind him. of criminals and terrorists impacted
For many, working on a Specialist tactics and weaponry; 9/11 changed
The art of teaming Firearms Officer team was the firearms policing forever as terrorism
This really demonstrated the art of pinnacle in the department, and Andy included suicide killers.
“teaming” where groups of emergency was no different. After failing his first
responders are thrown together and SFO assessment (by his own admission Suicide terrorism
get the job done. Some may not it was too early in his career), he passed There was an expectation that
have worked together before, but the second and the subsequent SFO suicide terrorism would hit the UK
understanding working parameters, course in 1995. He followed that with at some stage, but few expected that
aims and objectives and tactics an instructor’s course and spent the events would unfold as they did on 7
contribute to a successful outcome that next 15 years in both training and July 2005 – 56 innocent members of
sometimes defies belief with such little operational roles before stepping away the public murdered on the London
time for preparation and briefing. in 2010 after being offered the Team transport system, ironically the day
ARVs were deployed regularly in the Manager role with GB Hockey. after London was awarded the 2012
mid-90s as life-threatening incidents From 1995 through to 2010 the Olympic Games.
increased in the capital. Andy enjoyed department grew exponentially, The events that followed were some
a rewarding three-year spell on the as did the capability of specialist of the most challenging that the
ARVs. Hockey had taken a back seat firearms teams. The unit also faced its department had faced. The subsequent
at this point and if he were to continue challenges as the increase in firearms investigation, the copycat bombings

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