Re: [SG2] You'll never take me alive, coppers:Was RE: PA availability

 ---- gene wrote: 

the british police are roughly:

> 1) Unarmed

95% of british police. most forces (it's organised on a county basis)
have pepper spray, and all have truncheons. this also goes for the MPs i
have seen (i live in a garrison town, and every friday night you see
them hanging about outside some pubs and clubs waiting to pounce on
disorderly squaddies).

> 2) Armed

i think there is a policy that a patrol car with a firearm must be on
call within n minutes (where n is 10-15). i'm not sure if this was a
proposal or is implemented.

> 3) Paramilitary

airport police have smg's and body armour, due to terrorism. there are
armed police units that are called out to deal with some gun-related
incidents, such as sieges of armed robbers, etc. i think that they are
regular coppers with extra training, and the unit only assembles as
needed. not sure about this one. they are certainly not SWAT in the US
sense.

> 4) Military

serious stuff, like iranians holding hostages, is dealt with by the SAS.
the army also provide 'security' in ulster (well, they used to, then
they were largely withdrawn, and now i think they're back). the army/air
force also provide men and appliances when the firemen go on strike. the
army were also called in in the general strike early this century, and
no doubt would be on the streets of the UK if such social unrest
developed again.

Tom

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