Armed police 'only a matter of time', says politician

Spirit wrote:That is brilliant.

Guernsey's Home Minister is defending a decision to spend almost £200,000 on an armoured Land Rover for the island's police force.

There's been a huge public response to the purchase, triggered by the arrival of the vehicle last week.

The statement from Deputy Geoff Mahy follows Channel Television's revelation that one politician, Deputy John Gollop, is predicting armed police could be the norm on the streets of Guernsey in the future.

Deputy Mahy said: "Fifteen months ago the Home Department considered a package of measures to ensure the firearms unit was equipped to deal with current and future risks that may require the response of a firearms unit and equally to ensure officers had the ability to contain, secure and bring to a safe conclusion any incident where firearms were being used in anger.

History spanning over a decade has seen almost a frequency where a lone domestic active shooter has taken deadly action against members of the public. These incidents have largely taken place in quiet and tranquil locations, both in the UK and further afield.

Whilst Guernsey remains a predominantly safe place to live, it is not divorced from equal levels of mental health, domestic violence and alcohol abuse experienced elsewhere. It is equally naive to consider that Guernsey is not totally free from any terrorist threat, neither should the Island present itself as a soft target should any group or individual seek to make statement by this means of action.

The Home Department studied these risks in full with the associated business case submitted by the Chief Officer of Police and unanimously made a decision to purchase a package of equipment to mitigate those risks."

The minister went on to point out that in the event of police officers in the firearms unit having to approach a dangerous member of the public who is in possession of a dangerous firearm it is important that police have maximum protection.

Deputy Mahy said: "The police do not shape the undesirable changes of society; however it is important if we are going to protect our community that we are best prepared by ensuring those that we have charged with the operational responsibility to do so are afforded the correct support and standards of equipment in doing so.

By upgrading the firearms unit the Home Department took a view that this was a responsible and correct decision to make. It did this using the correct evidence based methodology to support a formal business case. We hope that such incidents dont occur but we hope the police are equipped should they occur."