AFO's question

[Greek]

Originally Posted by baghdadbg

What is your role, job spec at the moment

right now im just waiting to start my career in the met, long term goal is to join the ARV teams, i know its going to be a long process but it don't bother me. i was preparing for it to be long.

[ynwa]

Shorty,

its nowhere near as bad as it was. Personally i feel the threat for on duty officers is much worse in the mainland, and also for the gardai in southern ireland. The gardai mainly for gangland crime, and in my own limited opinion on the mainland, gangland crime and that ever present threat of suicide bombers.

But sadly there still remains a threat off duty for all psni officers. Just yesterday an undercar booby trap (IED) almost killed an off duty officer. He was very lucky that he is only suffering from serious leg injuries. If you can call it that. That is the 3rd attempt on off duty psni officers since last august. The 1st 2 were shootings, one where an off duty officer was leaving his child to school. Through the mercy of God, those responsible are still looking for their 1st kill (police officer that is) since the good friday agreement.

regarding the PPW, i think that it is mainly an arse covering excercise for the main part. Alot of officers see the introduction of the ARV's in northern ireland will be the beginning of the end for the carrying of the glock's while on duty in certain area's. Back to the arse covering: If they are taken away (the ppw's), and an off duty officer is shot and he has no protection, it will leave the service open to a claim for failing to carry out it's duty of care to it's employees in light of the past history. Yes it is "peace" but there are always those who would prefer it the other way. and will do anything to achieve. I believe it's only a matter of time before an off duty officer is killed.

I am guessing that alot on the forum will be suprised that the PSNI do not have an ARV unit. they will shortly.

[HALO61]

In Ontario Canada, Officially Police Officer aren’t permitted to carry off duty, unless the have written permission from their COP to do so, even with the increased gun violence by the criminal gangs in the metropolitan cities. Primarily due to the politically correct fluffy bunnies believing it’s culturally offensive and a potential danger to the Canadian general public and their image of the Police. Sad but true… Were as the US officers are permitted to carry off duty, for 2 main reasons, now these are in no specific order;

• US Police Officers / Law Enforcement Officers (LEO) are considered never off duty, even when they are officially off duty. If a criminal incident occurs around an off duty officer and he does nothing to intervene he can be held responsible in a criminal or civil legal action. It is therefore in his or her best intrest to carry off duty.

• Officer’s personal/family protection, as the threat to an officer’s safety while off duty by person or persons he has arrested in the past, is seen as a viable threat. An example is an off duty officer is out shopping in a local store with his family or having a coffee in say Starbucks with a friend and is spotted by a criminal be put away. The criminal could decide to extract some sort of revenge on the off duty officer.

Stay Safe

HALO61