Heads up ITV1 9pm: CO19 In The Line Of Fire

[Six Fiend]

Will be interesting to see how this compares with the previews. Just another fly on the wall prog edited a bit badly or a really good insight into the work of the armed Police.

No doubt some will scream about the tactics...

[Crimson Tide]

I thought it was that Clint Eastwood film when I saw it on the guide

[Six Fiend]

Perhaps he's the trunk monkey in the ARVs?

[bigdavy]

Maybe i'm cynical, but i suspect a whole load of defence about the Jean Charles killing?? how hard they have it etc etc, happy to be proved wrong tho..........

[Six Fiend]

ITV Press release:

http://www.itv.com/PressCentre/InTheLineOfFire/Ep1...

[Kuroblack350]

Six Fiend said:

No doubt some will scream about the tactics...

+1

...all of the experts will be out in force later, quoting ballistics, weapons blah blah

[Crimson Tide]

Out of interest, why did it stop being SO19 and become CO19? Special Operations sounds about right, so why change it?

Also, are the armed Police at Heathrow and other airports CO19 as well, or are they something different?

Edited by Crimson Tide on Tuesday 10th February 21:13

[wrightyrs]

I'd like to know who paid for the programme to be made.

Just like the series of programmes on PSCO's that was completely funded by the goverment to which the broadcasting complaints has said was to much and should never have been broadcast.

[Crimson Tide]

"the introduction of less lethal tazer stun-guns..."

Huh?! Less lethal? I think it's fair to say something is either lethal or it isn't. But hey, it is ITV.

[Garlick]

So the bloke in the Megane cab wasn't carrying a gun? I missed that part.

[Pupp]

Anyone wanna tell me why someone needs kicking after they've been tasered and are down?

[Steve748]

Crimson Tide said:

Out of interest, why did it stop being SO19 and become CO19? Special Operations sounds about right, so why change it?

Also, are the armed Police at Heathrow and other airports CO19 as well, or are they something different?

Edited by Crimson Tide on Tuesday 10th February 21:13

Here....
Central Operations Specialist Firearms Command (CO19)
Introduction to CO19
CO19 is the branch name given to the Specialist Firearm Command branch of the Metropolitan Police Service that provides firearms-related support to our unarmed colleagues. The branch is comprised of a small number of officers who are highly trained and motivated in dealing with all aspects of the criminal use of firearms. Operationally, our branch is here to provide armed support to allow the vast majority of policing activities throughout London to be conducted in the traditional manner by unarmed officers.

Formerly known as SO19, the branch has recently moved into the Central Operations directorate of the organisation but our role within the Service is unchanged. The officer in command of CO19 is Chief Superintendent Bill Tillbrook.

Operational
For example the crews for Armed Response Vehicles, teams of Specialist Firearms Officers who deal with pre-planned firearms operations and the Rifle Section, which provides a counter-sniper capability.

Training
The unit provides courses and refresher training for all firearms officers and more than 2,000 officers attend training courses every eight weeks.

Policy
Undertakes research and projects on behalf of the Assistant Commissioner Specialist Operations and the Met's Firearms Policy Forum.

Licensing
Firearms enquiries teams, which handle firearms and shotgun licensing, are now part of CO19.

[peepsy]

Pupp said:

Anyone wanna tell me why someone needs kicking after they've been tasered and are down?

If I thought there was anychance of being shot, kicking him would be the least I would do, tasered or not !

[Sheets Tabuer]

15 year old found with a gun.

2 years supervision order...

They wonder why they don't give a crap about carrying them.

[killsta]

Pupp said:

Anyone wanna tell me why someone needs kicking after they've been tasered and are down?

Stop them reaching for a hidden weapon. Simple.

[wrightyrs]

Over 400 firearms found every month in London.

How come you don't hear them saying that these weapons were banned in this country 1997 for handguns and 1988 for Automatic Rifles.

Just shows that banning things solves nothing and only means that the criminals have them as they don't care about the laws.

[ninja-lewis]

Crimson Tide said:

Out of interest, why did it stop being SO19 and become CO19? Special Operations sounds about right, so why change it?

Also, are the armed Police at Heathrow and other airports CO19 as well, or are they something different?

Edited by Crimson Tide on Tuesday 10th February 21:13

Wikipedia says they are Aviation Security (CO18). The Diplomatic Protection Group (close protection, guarding buildings, etc) are also seperate.

Edited by ninja-lewis on Tuesday 10th February 22:10

[anonymous-user]

wrightyrs said:

Over 400 firearms found every month in London.

When the bloke was showing the guns that they'd "collected" and he got to the AK47, did anybody else hear Samuel L Jackson's voice from Jackie Brown?

[smack]

Smelt of a big PR job by the Met.

Trying to justify that they were not in the wrong for Stockwell the stated the agenda of the program imho.

[jonlarge]

Didn't the program say that in 2007 there were 8,000 callouts of CO19, and they only fired their weapons five times. Sounds like you've got to be pretty calm in those situations to not fire your weapon, so fair play to them.

Not a job for me...the nearest I got was when I said to the missus (of the MP5) "I use them in Call of Duty - wicked!". Guess that means I'm as good as trained.

Can't help but feel that we're influenced by the media when we comment on the unit in the programme, and many here talk as if they're weapon experts and have been in these situations before. I'm not sure I believe the contributors here have been.

Would anyone here want that life or death/split second decision-making responsibility? Not me, so I hold my hand up and offer these people some respect.