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t Glock 17 pistol
t Taser
T ey also have the availability of
distraction devices.
During my visit I spoke with
Inspector Alan Mugglestone, a PFOA
member. Alan has been putting together
some Post Incident training for the unit,
being keen to ensure that his officers
are aware of the consequences should
they be involved in a shooting and what
is expected of them. T e training has
been well received and has benefited not
just the Firearms Officers, but many
others including professional standards,
Post Incident Managers and the Force
Wellbeing Team. T e BTP Federation
has also played an active part in this
training and are well equipped to support
officers should there be an incident. T e
Federation Chairman, George Lewis,
has actively supported and encouraged
Firearms Officers to join the PFOA. Last
year the Federation made a donation of
£500 to the PFOA after we provided guest
speakers for a Federation training day.
BTP Officers can travel anywhere
on the rail network whilst on duty.
T ey have a massive area to cover. T e
Firearms Team has the capability to
deploy to any station in the UK. I spoke
to Acting Inspector Adrian Neylan,
who said “those horrific scenes from the
Mumbai railway station are a constant
reminder of the continual danger we
face from terrorism, hopefully our unit
will go some way to averting the same
thing happening in this country.” I have
visited the BTP Firearms Unit on several
BRITISH occasions, usually bumping into retired
Met colleagues who have embarked
on their second careers, and have been
TRANSPORT impressed by the way they have set the
unit up, the equipment they use, and the
enthusiastic way they go about their duty.
Having seen them operate at rail stations
POLICE in London, they always look the part and
are normally always engaging with the
commuters when I see them. T e BTP
Firearms Unit is here to stay, looking
after all of us that travel on the rail
94+66'0 $; /#4- 9+..+#/5 network. T ey are an absolute necessity,
and a welcome addition to our amazing
firearms family ■