Page 15 - Top Cover Issue 8
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TOP COVER ISSUE 8 15
I t’s difficult to actually fathom how distorted along with members of the public. To believe
the minds are of the people who inflict
we can avoid this is sadly naïve. What we can
these heinous acts on innocent people. The
do however, is ensure we have the proper
resources and response to such an attack.
pictures of a police officer being ‘finished
For armed officers this will be the ‘balloon
off’ whilst wounded and begging for his life
demonstrates the evil we are dealing with.
mental challenge – one that they have trained
for – and one we all know we are ‘up’ for.
What stands between that evil and our going up’ moment. The biggest physical and
freedom in the UK are firearms officers and
the military. We have arguably the best ACPO Armed Policing Lead, DCC Simon
Special Forces in the world, who no doubt Chesterman QPM, is determined to ensure
would be deployed if a situation like that in we have the right resources in place and has
Paris occurs. But the first responders will be written for TOP COVER about where we are
police officers, unarmed most probably, along currently and where we need to be. Dave
with community support officers. What they Blocksidge, our regular Science on the Street
report back in the early minutes of an attack author, looks at multiple shots and attackers
will be crucial to how armed officers respond to see how officers perform under such
Se préparer…
and react to the threat. Inevitably some of the enormous pressure.
unarmed officers and PCSOs will be killed,
Events in Paris sent shock waves around the world

