Troops on the Streets

[Mill Wheel]

I have no problem with this whatsoever.

However, I wonder if there are a few legal implications for the public to get to grip with?

Forinstance, will their rules of engagement allow them to tackle anything other than just (potential) terrorists such as these violent raids by youths on scooters and mopeds?

What if a vehicle jumps the lights and is perceived as a potential vvehicle attack?
Would they use deadly force to prevent a knife attack even if it were not terrorist related?
Will Marine "A" be among their number?

France had troops on the streets of Paris as long ago as 2007, and I didn't see anybody show them any attention even then, and the same applied in Rome last October. I wonder if this is a better alternative to routinely arming police?

Is there any advice anywhere explaiing to the public how they should behave, such as not engaging troops in conversation, and not taking photographs, as was the situation in Italy, but not France?

[Durzel]

I would hazard a guess that rules of engagement are such that the chances of any military personnel actually aiming a gun at a civilian much less shooting at them are so vanishingly unlikely as to be purely academic.

[Dave Hedgehog]

Mill Wheel said:

I have no problem with this whatsoever.

However, I wonder if there are a few legal implications for the public to get to grip with?

Forinstance, will their rules of engagement allow them to tackle anything other than just (potential) terrorists such as these violent raids by youths on scooters and mopeds?

its fine till they employ spray and pray and hit 5 civilians for every one bad guy

i cant see them making much difference to anyone up to no good so i suspect they are more for show and public confidence

[irocfan]

AIUI the troops will be under police command/supervision?

[768]

I think the Police will want to be running the show, so the troops will broadly just get the dull jobs or be standing behind a police officer.

[Riley Blue]

irocfan said:

AIUI the troops will be under police command/supervision?

I also imagine they will allow the police to deploy in more places to increase the number of locations under armed protection.

[Sheets Tabuer]

The troops will be there as a visual deterrent, just like in 2003 when they deployed APCs outside Heathrow, a probably unarmed APC wasn't going to do a lot but the press and public lapped it up.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

Going to the FA Cup final on Saturday. Wonder if they'll be there.

[eps]

You need to read the articles below the headlines.

From the Telegraph

"
Troops will take on duties for guarding embassies and high profile buildings, freeing up armed police officers to join counter terrorism duties.

Soldiers are due to take up position at Buckingham Palace, Parliament and Downing Street later on Wednesday as part of the deployment named Operation Temperer."

From here : http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/05/24/1000-tr...

[Foliage]

Dave Hedgehog said:

Mill Wheel said:

I have no problem with this whatsoever.

However, I wonder if there are a few legal implications for the public to get to grip with?

Forinstance, will their rules of engagement allow them to tackle anything other than just (potential) terrorists such as these violent raids by youths on scooters and mopeds?

its fine till they employ spray and pray and hit 5 civilians for every one bad guy

i cant see them making much difference to anyone up to no good so i suspect they are more for show and public confidence

UK soldiers are professionals and highly trained, they understand the need to follow the rules of engagement, in the most part the command structure understands the need to keep things simple for the guys on the ground.

The soldiers wont be shooting but they are quite capable of throwing someone to the floor and keeping them there if the need arises, they are also extra eyes to gather intelligence, spot trouble etc, a visible deterrent and of course free up police offices to do the investigation and interview work which the majority of soldiers aren't trained to do.

Soldiers aren't just 'dumb grunts' who are going to open fire.

[Rovinghawk]

They are professional & well-disciplined but I nevertheless do not feel that troops should be on the streets; it's not what soldiers are for.

[Zoobeef]

Why would marine A be there? He doesn't get his job back after that manslaughter conviction.

[Psycho Warren]

Will probably have similar ROE to Northern Ireland. Your regular soldier wasnt shooting up every dodgy looking car then either.

[covboy]

It will be interesting to see any statistics regarding any changes in street crime figures (of the less serious type) during this period.of increased Policing.

[DaveH23]

Rovinghawk said:

They are professional & well-disciplined but I nevertheless do not feel that troops should be on the streets; it's not what soldiers are for.

The only reason they are here is because of the police cuts, which if you remember was a 'brilliant' idea at the time.

If we had the numbers in the police they would be used.

[bitchstewie]

I suspect a large chunk of it is simply that there aren't enough armed Police.

[Greendubber]

bhstewie said:

I suspect a large chunk of it is simply that there aren't enough armed Police.

Correct.

[anonymous-user]

I wrote this in the 'critical level' thread.

The reality of having a mostly unarmed police service (along with a low police per population ratio) is that there aren't sufficient armed officers when plans / contingencies like we've seen being triggered are triggered.

[w8pmc]

As above, the Army's role as i understand it is purely support & i guess presence. The army have been deployed to free up more armed officers in the hunt for any further accomplices of the Manchester bomber & i assume further investigation/deployment in the wider fight against terror.

As i read the press articles, where currently 2 armed police officers are deployed, one will be replaced with an armed member of the armed forces.

[Mill Wheel]

Unusually, we have armed police patrollng the streets of Kendal.

I am uncertain how big a threat we face in Cumbria,... but significant numbers of tourists could represent a target of opportunity if parking charges didn't put some off!

http://www.thewestmorlandgazette.co.uk/news/153061...