Number Of Armed Officers Decreases For Fifth Year

Officers need to be financially rewarded and properly supported by their force when they take on firearms responsibilities, Hampshire Police Federation has said, as it emerged that the number of armed officers in England and Wales has decreased for the fifth year.

A new Government report found that there were a total of 6,473 armed officers in England and Wales as of 31 March 2024, a decrease of 3% (178) compared with 31 March 2023 (6,651).

Hampshire Police Federation Chair Zoë Wakefield said that what used to be a sought-after policing role was now struggling to attract applicants.

She said: “Some forces have seen a decrease in the number of officers applying to go on to firearms. It used to be the case that it was a sought-after role and it was the real elite that got to be firearms officers. But now we’re struggling for people to apply.

“Carrying a firearm is a huge responsibility, and police officers need to be financially rewarded for taking on that responsibility. They may think: ‘I’m getting paid really poorly, why should I take on the extra responsibility of carrying a gun?’ When the consequences can be – as we have seen in the Met at the moment – that you could end up charged with murder.

“There needs to be more support in place for officers when they are doing a job they’ve been trained to do – and not just in firearms, but also areas like pursuit driving.”

Zoë added: “If an officer has complied with their training, and complied with instructions that they’re given at the time, should the individual officer be responsible in an inquiry? Surely it’s the organisation that’s responsible?”