Safety crisis in London police spurs urgent calls for armed protection

A confidential 2022 internal review by Scotland Yard has recommended that London police officers be routinely armed with semi-automatic pistols to better protect themselves from the growing threat of deadly knife attacks.

The report, obtained by The Telegraph, suggests equipping frontline officers beyond specialist firearms units, who currently alone carry guns and are deployed only to the most dangerous incidents.

The review was commissioned after two officers were stabbed during a 2022 attack in Leicester Square. The report highlighted that “the dangers faced by police officers are genuine and can have catastrophic results,” and warned that the Metropolitan Police had “failed in its duty to safeguard its own staff” due to outdated and “unrealistic” safety training.

It proposed that officers from basic command units “carrying and trained in the use of a self-loading pistol (SLP)” could respond more effectively to spontaneous threats. The report also suggested issuing individual first-aid kits, revising baton training to allow strikes to an assailant’s head, and changing patrol shirt colors to reduce vulnerabilities during attacks.

Despite the review, Scotland Yard chiefs rejected the recommendation, citing the UK’s long-standing tradition of policing by consent, where officers serve the public without coercion. A Metropolitan Police spokesman said the force follows national guidance, which “does not support the arming of all front-line officers,” but aims to equip 10,000 officers with Tasers by 2027.

The report’s findings coincide with increased concerns over officer safety amid knife attacks and violent protests, including the Unite the Kingdom demonstration where 26 officers were injured.

Former police officer Rory Geoghegan criticized the current model, stating, “What corrodes trust is not seeing a constable carry a pistol, but seeing one cut down by a knife or gunfire because their leaders denied them the tools to protect themselves and the public.” He stressed that many European countries routinely arm their officers without losing public legitimacy.

The review and recent incidents have sparked calls for urgent reforms to better protect Britain’s police officers in an evolving threat landscape.

By Vafa Guliyeva