SAS do selection then go into a rotation of serving with different troops within their regt ,SAS selection alone is a different level of fitness and their training is far more difficult that CTSFO its the best of the fittess and most switched on soldiers most of which even fail selection UKSF is the pinnacle of any armed service in the world
As a SIA Door-Supervisor, we have a lot of respect for you coppers! You're there to help US out of any sticky situation on Friday nights in the town! Quick question - what's the diversity like in SFO units? I'm a British-Pakistani and I know that more ethnic minorities, across the UK, are joining up with the police to help keep their communities safe. Just wondering what its like in SFO! Thanks! - Seyyed Naqvi
Very interesting video, thank you! What's your personal opinion about the fact that police officers in the UK don't normally carry guns? Do you think they should carry guns on a general basis, or do you consider the actual policy to be good enough?
Hi AG, great question. Thanks for the comment. We’ve actually recently made a video about this very topic which I’ll look to publish in coming weeks. Personally, I do feel that the current model of armed policing is very effective. Small highly trained and resourced teams providing a very targeted response I think is the best use of money and time. I’ve now witnessed policing in countries all over the world where training differs so greatly, and I would still always push to see dedicated firearms officers opposed to routine arming. Hope this clarifies a little 👍
Hey Jamie, great and informative video. As a non-UK resident, I'm oftentimes struck by the tactics used by UK armed police. I've seen videos here on youtube where arrests were effected in the middle of Camden High Street by officers wielding what I take for a HK416 or comparable assault rifle whereas to me, a standard pistol would have been more flexible and easier to handle for the officers. After all, you need to store the pistol safely away to drag a person to the ground and handcuff him. That's not so easy with an assault weapon dangling around your waistline. I was wondering if there is also some "shock and awe" technique involved in the choice of weapons. How do you rate the flexibility with which officers can choose the most suitable gun for a given situation? - Also, in Germany, special forces are always masked and their identity is protected. I find it interesting to see that no such effort is made in the UK and wonder how officers see that.
Hi Jamie, great video and it really helped get an understanding, my question is for a young person just finishing school like me, where do you recommend I start in the police and are there any specialist skills I'd need to develop? Thanks :)
you can go in through apprenticeship in some forces(wiltshire police partnered with University of the south of Wales to do this for example), but others need higher education qualifications. As he said you do 2 years probation, which will likely give you a good idea of which specialist role would suit you
As a central Londoner, I notice firearms officers wear different uniforms, I see ARV officers in greyish black uniform, at parliament and Downing Street I see armed officers in blue uniform same with Buckingham palace officers. Why don’t ARVs not have blue uniforms also?
You sure? Greyish one's are the CTSFO and ARV's officers are the ones in the blue, and then you get SFO that are in normal uniform but with the ballistic met vest for SFO's and wearing caps instead of beat helmets for the most part. Plus ARV's are always in cars normally marked BWM's x5's with yellow stickers with * markings in the rear windows, you won't see them normally just patrolling, CTSFO's will mostly have unmarked cars for obvious reasons.
It is like any forces, the special's will not wear the same uniform as regular. At buck's it is ceremonial duties really, so standard dress is for the tourists.
Hi Vin, generally speaking the CTSFO role profile would include grey clothing. The ARV would generally wear all black, the same as force SFOs when not covert. Blue uniforms I think are more seen in the Metropolitan Police and would suggest are still worn by AFOs on static duties such as those securing buildings and working possibly at Airports. That of course may change but generally speaking, that is what you are seeing.
What do you think the best route to become a CTSFO officer is? To go through the ranks and training of a home office force or to train straight away as a AFO at the MOD police? Do you think 2 years of being a bobby on the street is important?
Thanks for the question Max. The MOD Police are not directly transferable into home office forces without first having to complete probationary service / further training upon their transfer so it's not really of any help to you. I would always recommend joining your local service and working your way through the normal process. It will take time but there is so much to learn and those years spent policing are vital. Don't forget that first and foremost, CTSFO's are Police Officers and have had to demonstrate their abilities and competencies throughout; without that early Policing experience you wouldn't even be able to apply. Hope this helps
Hi mate, interesting video! I'm aware that the army pretty much prohibit left handed shooting through protocol and their choice of standard issue firearm in the SA80. Would this be an issue within the police force and do you have any experiences with the matter? I'm extremely left eye dominant and not ambidextrous in the slightest so I'm not sure if I'd be comfortable attempting it right handed. Thanks in advance.
Great video Jamie, Ive jus recently submitted my expression of interest in pursuing a PDCA. Can you give me some advice that could make me stand out more compared to other potential candidates?
Hi, I'm 18 and torn between military and police. Is being in the military transferable, and will it give me a higher chance of being an AFO? Great video btw.
Thanks for the comment Rocco. Both are different and unfortunately at this moment there is no direct transfer route from the military into the Police. In regards to military experience being of use during AFO selection, I would suggest some elements possibly. Ultimately you need to bean effective and proven Police Officer first and foremost. This will have far more effect over your application than prior military experience. I hope this helps👍
I worked the streets for years burnt me out dunno how trojan kept so fit...I was knackered most of the time shit hours and dealing with death and nasty people..glad I retired
Thanks for your question Joe. The difference broadly comes down to levels of training and the role and responsibilities the officers expected to fulfil. ‘ARU’ is the term normally used by the PSNI ( Police Service of Northern Ireland ) to describe their teams that provide the spontaneous response to firearms incidents. In England, Wales and Scotland the same units would be referred to as ARV’s or Armed Response Vehicles. In both cases, the differences are the same. CTSFO’s have received further more in-depth training in other weapons systems, methods of carriage, search techniques, mobile and foot surveillance, working with helicopters and fast roping etc, amongst other things. CTSFO’s for the most part will be involved in pre-planned operations where as ARU/ARV’s available for spontaneous incidents etc. I hope this helps
Here's a question(s): What are the tryouts like for CTSFO? What is required physically? How long is the school to become a part of CTSFO? What's the difference between the CTSFO and SCO19?
Hi Seth, thanks for the question. To keep the answer straight forward, there is a national standard for the weapon systems that officers with different levels of Traning and authorisation are allowed to carry. So aside from certain specialism or specific requirements of certain taskings, the weapon set will be the same. As for overalls..well they are normally worn during training and certain operations where you need more protection, ie from heat, burns, glass etc. I hope this helps 👍
would you need any gcse’s to join the armed police or a normal police officer ? and also if i’m doing a business administration apprenticeship will that still allow me to join the police after it is done ?
Hi Jamie, great video, silly Q but you didn't happen to live in Bristol 20ish years ago and move to the Met? i really recognise you through a mate of mine that i worked with in the galleries back then? lol daft q but has been bugging me sorry
is there a chance for non uk citizen who is prior specialized in counter terrorism and firearms to become operator in london how much harder this process take then?
If you have prior experience, I'd suggest you make an application to the MPS if there are any vacancies available. Working in a specialised role will assist you through the working visa process, especially working in a Home Office Police Force.
Being ex military sometimes isn't seen as advantageous due to it being harder to unlearn different drills. Yes you can apply as soon after 2 years as there is a course. It's unusual but it does happen. If you're young in years as well as police service then it's highly unusual.
@@herrickmaster77 I’d say most average civilians could definitely not pass over a 5 on the bleep test. Especially with such a high level of obesity so I’d say your very wrong
AFO are effectively response police officers supporting routine policing doing the same shift. Responding to firearms incidents where there is a threat to life. SFO work and deal with planned operations on high level criminality and potential terrorism where the use of firearms officers would reduce the risk of harm. Both are police officers so first priority is the protection of life. The SAS are the best soldiers in the world trained to kill with control and restraint where required.
In Finland every police officer is required to carry a firearm. It has never been a problem to anyone. Finnish police officers are trained for the worst, but it is very rare for an officer to really have to shoot a firearm in the real situation. Firearm is not a fetish, it is just a tool.
There's few afo roles anymore in the UK home office. The standard entry is now arv course of around 12 weeks. That's what I did. Sfo seems to be dying out too so it's either arv or ctsfo. And yes it you wanted to move up to ctsfo you'd need to prove yourself on the cars for at least a few years
@I There are 6 CT hubs across the UK. It isn't exclusive to MET. They are regionally based with a 'lead unit'. For example GMP are the lead unit for North West Counter Terrorism Policing which covers all the police forces in the North West obviously, so GMP has the CTSFO capability and will react to incidents throughout cheshire, North Wales, Manchester etc. Some forces will allow you to transfer, some won't. I know GMP don't allow people to directly transfer to CTSFO, some down south, like the south east CT hub, do allow transfers, they also allow arvo to transfer as an arv and then upskill to SFO or CTSFO.
Hello there, sorry if u have answered this but my question is How do u become a CTSFO is it that u have to be a police officer first for 2 years and then volunteer? If thats the case what is the possibility of getting accepted, im 21 and would dream of becoming one thank u
Yes. The military sometimes isn't an advantage. Different drills are harder to unlearn. Sometimes they prefer a blank canvas. You'd still need to do at least 2 years unarmed.
It could be considered, prior experience will help you with your application to get into firearms training, given that you have met the requirements as a serving Police Officer first. You must meet full requirements including many years of service. Working as a Firearms Officer is very close to a standard response officer, you will be deployed to more serious and dangerous jobs but effective communication and other skills are far more important. You will receive no extra consideration if you do not meet the requirements.
I know you do need C in both English & Maths to join for the West Mercia, I’m doing this at the minute as they offer an apprenticeship and you don’t need a uni degree👍🏼
Thanks for the question Ammar. Although the Police once had a height requirement for all officers, that’s no longer the case. So there are no height restrictions placed on officers or those specifically within firearms. I hope This helps 👍
Tut tut tut at 03:50 what is the difference between the SAS. The SAS is not just army, it can be from any branch of the military (I am ex forces), however it is mainly army. I just saw a video ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-fw8ySflCn-k.html I doubt if I get will a response, but if I do then it would be interesting. The driver of the shout, mounted a pavement and went down the road against on coming traffic. I am in two minds if this was legal or illegal driving even on a shout. The only thing that I know you can do in a shout is if you cause minor damage to a car then you can drive away and deal with it later, in a serious accident then you have to stay on scene.
Hi Mark, thanks for comment. Yes your right, of course SAS applicants are from all arms, not just the army..and like I said, for those who are learning, they form part of the military and UKSF response. ( thanks for your service by the way 👍 ) Interesting question Re driving. I have watched the video you linked too. Firstly it’s really difficult to judge entirely because I’ve been in the same situations thousands of times. You are an advanced driver, and hugely experienced. You do have a much higher level of risk assessment that accompanies your driving certainly for those constantly driving through city environments. I have done both. It’s difficult because you may be attending hugely serious incidents which those outside of the car, would not appreciate the risks involved. But, that said, advanced drivers have to achieve excellent standards in training and progressing very quickly but safely, and also in a professional manner. That’s not always the case with all officers though, I appreciate and can be dependant on so many different elements. Also, those actions taken by the driver are solely their responsibility, no different to pulling the trigger of a weapon. At some point, that responsibility falls to you. Mounting kerbs, driving on the opposite side of the road, all perfectly acceptable and justifiable in the correct circumstances. I hope this helps a little Mark. I always took great pride in my driving so the little things like beeping a horn constantly behind a driver who is slow to react does grip me a little, as it gives the impression of red mist a little which I don’t like to see. It will always be a fine balance, rarely will there be a straight forward answer. Have I experienced close calls many times, absolutely, but when you are pushing the envelope of what is safe every day, there is always a fine balance. ARV officers receive great levels of driver training, no different to traffic officers, surveillance officers etc. It will always be for them to justify their actions though. I hope this helps a little. Stay in touch. Thanks again for your comment Mark, JC 👍
Its UKSF selection ,you firstly do and hills phase followed by other parts of the selection process supporting arms can apply mainly light infantry,guards,paras and other Airborne units. Royal Marines commando's do the same selection but generally go to the SBS
Not any more so than a regular officer from my understanding. You'll need a degree to join the police as a constable, which you can either get elsewhere or through the PCDA (Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship). Because of this, you will need a good understanding of maths - in order to do day to day tasks - I can't say you'll need anything particularly advanced. Upon application you must sit assessments that do test your abilities in English and maths, but science isn't really applicable unless you want to go into more investigative roles (forensics etc). Armed officers will have to go through a higher level of training - and thus pass harder exams, but I do not know how maths and science would be incorporated, if at all, into that exams to any difficulty above that of a regular constable. Hope that helps!
You have to have a good education to become a police officer in the first place. The fire arms training is just a bolt on from your service. It is the same as driving, you put in for driving school so you have to pass that course to be able to put on the blues. To fire a gun is not scientific, you just point and shoot, however some people are prepared to take a life, while other people are not. When I served in the forces, we had dubious people, who you thought can I trust these people with my life, if the shit hit the fan. A lot of the police vote against carrying weapons in the UK, which is why you have the specials for, however, it pisses me off when I see a police officer who got killed because of not carrying a weapon. A lot of police officers would still have been alive and potentially a lot of civvies as well if they manned up and carried a fire arm. It is a waste of time making a call for the fire arm response, when in less than five minutes before they get there, you could be dead. Take a look at the London attacks, police officers dead or injured.
Thanks for your questions Clips..well the short answer is that I wasn’t ha! Things have changed slightly since my joining so always refer to National or local adverts for officers and the requirements. What I can say from Personal experience is that nothing will serve you better than common sense, life experience and calm mature head. Good luck with your application 👍
I have a question, If I were to join the Army and then left and joined the Police would that make me more likely to be accepted into a Firearm Officer?
It could be considered, prior experience will help you with your application to get into firearms training, given that you have met the requirements as a serving Police Officer first.
Using a firearm is by default lethal force. there is no such thing as 'shoot to wound'. the whole concept of 'just shoot them in the leg' is hilariously ignorant, as if its less lethal. Arteries run through the legs too.
