Policing Advance Access originally published online on September 24, 2007
Policing 2007 1(3):293-299; doi:10.1093/police/pam044
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Copyright © The Author 2007. Published by Oxford University Press.
Getting the Balance Right: The Use of Firearms in British Policing
* Commissioner, Independent Police Complaints Commission, 90 High Holborn, London, WC1V 6BH, UK E-mail: deborah.glass@ipcc.gsi.gov.uk
Deborah Glass is Commissioner of the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC). A lawyer, she joined the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission at its inception in 1989. In 1998 she became Chief Executive of the Investment Management Regulatory Organisation until its merger with the Financial Service Authority. She was appointed as a Member of the Police Complaints Authority from 2001 to 2004. In 2004 she was appointed to the Independent Police Complaints Commission which replaced the PCA. Deborah is responsible for City of London, Surrey, Hertfordshire, Thames Valley and the Metropolitan (North East) police forces, as well as London borough parks, Royal Botanic Gardens and Royal Parks police in North East London. She also carries lead Commission policy responsibility for firearms and less lethal options.
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No one could forget the shocking events of the London bombings on 7 and 21 July 2005, followed so closely by the tragic death of Jean-Charles de Menezes at the hands of Metropolitan Police officers the same month. But what must have been particularly disturbing for the police service and firearms officers, in particular, was the subsequent public debate on the police use of lethal force. To give a typical example, the BBC reported on 22 July 2005: will police now shoot to kill?
There can be no doubt that the police use of force, especially when it is lethal, attracts a sea of newspaper headlines, blogs and commentaries. But public perceptions may, in fact, be fundamentally flawed. I have often been asked the question why the police did not shoot in the leg if they just want to stop someone. What responsibilities do the police service and Independent Police
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The position prior to 1 April 2004 |
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The current framework |
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Principal recommendations from IPCC investigations |
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Conclusion |
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