Armed response vehicle

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Armed Response Vehicle
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A BMW X5 armed response vehicle of London's Metropolitan Police with Battenburg markings

An armed response vehicle (ARV) is a type of

firearms
or other high-risk situations. ARVs are specially adapted and modified to accommodate specialist equipment.

Introduction of ARVs

A red ARV of the Met's Protection Command, with yellow dot stickers

Armed response vehicles were introduced to British police forces to provide them with a firearms response capability, as

police in the United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland
) do not routinely carry firearms on patrol, with the exception of a minority of armed officers.

ARVs are identifiable in London by a yellow dot sticker, visible from each angle, and an asterisk on the roof to enable helicopters to identify the vehicle as being an ARV. Vehicles of the Metropolitan Police's Protection Command, identifiable by their red paintwork, use the same yellow dot markings to denote the carrying of firearms officers.

ARVs were deployed officially for the first time in London, during 1991. An "unpublicised" ARV was deployed in the Brixton area after the riots and was operational in the 1980s, code name Lima Delta 53. This had the standard Smith & Wesson revolvers and was on patrol at all times. Following their success, forces outside of the capital later formed similar units during the early to mid-1990s. The concept of an ARV was influenced by West Yorkshire Police's instant response cars, as used from 1976.[citation needed]

Early ARVs contained a secure safe between the seats containing a

Glock 17 handgun chambered in 9×19mm. In 2010, the Heckler & Koch G36C 5.56mm carbine was introduced in case of a Mumbai style terrorist attack.[1][2]

Revolvers and pistols could be removed from the secure safe by ARV members if, in a member's opinion, an immediate threat to life was posed. Authorisation for this from the control room was required, including contacting an officer of

Sir Paul Condon issued regulations, effective 23 May 1994, that gave ARV crews standing authority to wear their handguns overtly and to deploy their weapons. Several police forces followed suit. The Greater Manchester police became one of those whose ARVs openly carried firearms beginning 6 September 1994..[3] In 2013, the inaugural Chief Constable of Police Scotland granted a standing authority for ARV crews to overtly wear handguns and to deploy their weapons when he introduced ARV patrols nationally.[4][5]

See also

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Armed response vehicles.
  1. ^ Gardham, Duncan (15 April 2010). "Military-style guns for police to fight terrorists on the streets". The Telegraph. Retrieved 31 May 2017.
  2. ^ "Report on the Ninth International Law Enforcement Forum - International Law Enforcement Recommendations on Preventing and Countering Armed Attacks". Interpol. 2013. Retrieved 28 May 2017.
  3. ISBN 978-0-7509-4637-7
    .
  4. ^ "Assistant Chief Constable outlines armed policing policy". Police Scotland (Press release). 19 May 2014. Retrieved 29 May 2017.
  5. ISBN 9781910165102. Retrieved 28 May 2017.[permanent dead link
    ]
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