POLICE CARRY PISTOLS ON ROUTINE STREET PATROLS

A POLICE force has introduced armed foot patrols on the streets for the
first time in mainland Britain in an attempt to combat rising gun crime.
Officers wearing Walther P990 pistols on their hips are conducting regular
patrols on estates in Nottingham. The move, called Operation Real Estate,
represents a significant shift in British policing, which has prided itself
on the tradition of the unarmed bobby on the beat. Until now, armed
officers have been deployed on the streets of Britain only for diplomatic
duties or to tackle specific incidents such as sieges, armed robberies and
terrorist attacks. In Northern Ireland, however,officers have patrolled for
years armed with at least a handgun.

The use of the foot patrols in Nottingham is being monitored by at least
six other forces, including Merseyside and West Yorkshire, which face
similar problems over gun crime, largely drug-related. Chief constables are
free to make their own decisions on how they deploy armed officers, and the
Home Office was not consulted over the move by Nottinghamshire police.

This weekend Charles Clarke, the Home Office minister, admitted that he had
not been aware of it until last week. "I would stress this is an
operational matter for the chief constable, but I have asked for a full
briefing," he said. "For the time being, I am not going to say more than
that."

The patrols were launched by Nottinghamshire police after a series of
shootings on the city's St Ann's and Meadows estates sparked by a turf war
between rival gangs of drug-dealers.

At least six officers, armed with pistols and operating in pairs, spend up
to five hours from dusk until midnight patrolling the streets. They are
supported by two police vans, in which Heckler and Koch MP5 rifles are
kept, to be used only for special incidents or road checks.

Out on patrol on Wednesday evening last week, the police were met by groups
of roaming children, many on bikes, who were fascinated by the sight of the
holsters.

"Why are you carrying a gun and other policemen don't?" one boy asked. He
did not receive an answer. Another child pretended to shoot the policeman,
repeatedly mouthing: "Pop, pop".

Senior Nottinghamshire officers believe the use of armed patrols, which are
reviewed weekly, has sent a "strong message" to criminals not to use
weapons and has, so far, helped prevent gun crime spiralling out of
control.

Marcus Beale, the chief superintendent overseeing the operation, said: "You
have got to the point in Leeds where you have had executions - likewise,
Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool all suffer from widespread gun
violence.

"One of the challenges we face is looking to prevent that cycle increasing
to the point where you find bodies. Put simply, this measure is about
preventing gun violence becoming the norm and someone being murdered."

The operation - which also includes increased unarmed patrols and is linked
to other schemes for inner-city improvement - has been largely welcomed by
the community, although some have their reservations. Vincent Lloyd
Robinson, 63, whose son was killed when he intervened in a fight between
two gangs in Nottingham, said: "I support it, although I am worried that
innocent people might end up being killed in any crossfire."

The officers are specially trained in the use of firearms and abide by
guidelines that insist they draw weapons only where there is "a danger or
threat to life". Police are facing increasing gun crime, up by 10% in the
past year.

The move has provoked controversy, however. Geoffrey Bindman, a leading
human rights lawyer, warned that it could encourage more criminals to carry
weapons.

"This could get you into a worrying spiral." he said. "You only have to
look at the appalling example of America where everyone seems walk around
with a gun. There is a concern with implementing this type of zero
tolerance measure that it becomes hard to reverse." Some senior police
officers are also concerned. Chief Inspector John Powell, of the
Metropolitan police, said: "One would hope that it is not the thin end of
the wedge. British policing has been based on the principle of consent."

However, Sean Price, Nottinghamshire assistant chief constable, said that,
although the initiative was open-ended, "I still hope we are a long way
away nationally from approaching the position of permanently arming
officers."