One ex-firearms officer said the Met is struggling to attract recruits to its armed unit over fears of prosecution
Former firearms officers have revealed the concerns among armed recruits that they could be prosecuted for using the weapons
One serving firearms officer said: “They’re scared it could be them next which is understandable. “A lot of SO19, the unit that is on, are angry. Earlier this year, it was reported that a recent recruitment drive for the Specialist Firearms Command MO19 saw just six applications, the lowest number on record, and a dramatic fall on the 150 to 250 expected in a normal year.
The firearms officer told the BBC: “There are no winners in this situation and there were no winners in the courtroom yesterday.”The marksman, who remained anonymous, added: “There’s a problem when police officers are scrutinised by people who don’t necessarily understand the pressures and the issues involved.
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