Gun police are more scared of ending up in jail than taking on violent criminals, says police chief
GUN police are more scared of ending up in jail than taking on violent criminals, a police chief has claimed.
Chief Constable Simon Chesterman warned that forces would struggle to enlist volunteers to carry guns after Sgt Martyn Blake was prosecuted for shooting Chris Kaba.
Mr Chesterman, the National Police Chiefs’ Council head of armed policing, said: “They’re more afraid of going to prison for doing their jobs, than facing the violent and dangerous individuals we rely on them to protect us from.”
“Good police officers need to know that if they do what they are trained to do, they will be supported by the leaders of the police service, Government and, most importantly, the public.”
The number of armed police officers in England and Wales has fallen since 2019 to just 5,800.
Gang member Kaba, 24, was shot dead after trying to ram police in a car in 2022.
Sgt Blake was cleared of his murder but is in hiding after gang leaders put a £10,000 bounty on his head.
Last week Home Secretary Yvette Cooper pledged armed officers who are prosecuted for murder would be given anonymity until conviction.
But Brian Booth, from The Police Federation union, said: “The ramifications go far wider than the boundary of the Met Police.
“Officers in the other 42 forces in England and Wales are rightly asking what protection they have when doing a dangerous, complex and demanding job.”