Question
To ask the Chief Constable for his assessment of the appropriateness of training offered to officers in the use of rifles including the number trained and the geographic locations of trained officers?
Answer
The Police Service of Northern Ireland currently have 1447 officers trained in the G36, long barrelled weapon. This does not include specialist Police Service of Northern Ireland officers trained within the Counter Terrorism Specialist Firearms Officer role.
Trained Local Policing officers undergo two full days of firearms training per year. The training is in accordance with policy as contained in the Police Service of Northern Ireland Manual of Policy, Procedure and Guidance on Conflict Management. In addition to this, Police Service of Northern Ireland have specially trained Armed Response Units to respond to both pre-planned and spontaneous firearms incidents. Their job is to support Local Policing by providing a range of tactics to support officers in response to the prevailing threat level.
The armed capability of the organisation and our ability to respond to the current threat harm and risk is governed under Assistant Chief Constable Chris Todd. Each year the Police Service of Northern Ireland complete an Armed Policing Strategic Risk Assessment to ensure the organisation maintains the capability to respond to the prevailing situation within Northern Ireland.
The breakdown and location of trained officers is as follows:
176 x Officers in Belfast area
147 x Officers in Derry City & Strabane
266 x Officers in Crime Operational Department
384 x Officers in Operational Support Department (including Armed Response Unit)
265 x Officers in South area
6 x Officers in Command
2 x Officers in Corporate Services
11 x Officers in District Police Command
26 x Officers in Justice Department
150 x Officers in North area
6 x Officers in People & Organisational Development Department
8 x Officers in Service overheads (Career Break)
Mike Nesbitt - UUP