London Cops Tip Hats to American Trainer

The famous London Metropolitan Police present uniform hats to an American for training received in subduing suspects using minimal force. Go on patrol with the London cops as they catch a suspect with a knife barricaded in a house.

(PRWEB) December 13, 2004 -- When American police trainer Brad Parker finished training police officers in London, he never expected they would literally tip their hats to him.

Parker, a security consultant and trainer, recently returned to the states after completing a training stint with officers of the London Metropolitan Police who presented him with two hats -- a famous Bobby helmet and a modern police cap worn by the special Territorial Support Group.

"It was completely unexpected to have officers present me with their hats, considering these are real uniform items that the officers have to pay for themselves," said Parker.

Parker and two other trainers from the research and development group Defend University (www.defendu.com) traveled to Great Britain and Ireland to meet with trainers and instructors from the London Metropolitan Police department and Irelands Garda Siochana.

The hands-on training for the London police trainers was conducted in Epson and consisted of restraint and control techniques which are sought after by officers in the United Kingdom.

As many people know, the common beat officers in England and Ireland are not armed," said Parker. They carry only a baton and have survived on the job for the last 150 years using their mainly their wits and professionalism."

Parker and the other trainers provided techniques to allow officers to subdue combative subjects without injury or lethal force.

Attendees expressed concern with ever-increasing restrictions on the use of force by the European Union Commission on Health and Safety, budgetary pressures on the training departments and the recertification cycle for officers.

"Cops and the problems they face are the same all over the world and we fielded the same questions and concerns in England and Ireland as we do anywhere else," said Parker

The British officers noted the European Union Health and Safety restrictions on officers were a major impediment to progressive defensive tactics strategies for officers.

Parker was invited to work an additional shift with the London Metropolitan Police Departments Territorial Support Group (TSG) Unit 5. The TSG is a special response unit that supports the full time beat officer (the famous Bobby) in all of Londons 32 boroughs. Each borough has full time community beat officers which are supported by the city-wide five Territorial Support Groups and SO19, which is the Force Firearms Unit developed to deal with armed criminals and counter-sniper situations.

SO19 is Britains response to the increasing pressure of violent criminals using guns. The Met handled two drive-by shootings during the week Parker was in London, a pace that is virtually unheard of in that city. Bobbies and TSG officers are unarmed and only carry batons, rigid handcuffs, and chemical spray. Individual officers expressed a desire to see tasers and handguns issued in the near future.

TSG units patrol in box vans carrying 4 to 6 officers with a Sergeant. The vans also carry the officers riot gear and shields. TSG units are extremely mobile and aggressive, backing up beat officers and initiating contact constantly. The units have a reputation for professionalism and toughness that gets respect from the criminal element in the community.

These TSG units respond to many situations in which SWAT units would respond in the States, unless the subject is armed with a firearm. Those situations would call for SO19.

One such call for TSG 535 during Parkers patrol was for a suspect involved with a stabbing in the building earlier that same day. Reports were that the man had then barricaded himself with the knife in his mothers home.

TSG 535 responded to the location with another TSG unit. The men and women of both units staged at the end of the street and began putting on riot gear including rigid shin guards, elbow guards and flame-resistant coveralls. A riot helmet and a long Plexiglas shield completed each officers kit.

Both units moved up toward the suspects building along a low brick wall and prepared for entry. Part of one unit broke off and moved to the back of the house to act as a blocking force. A supervisor made contact with the mother of the house who assured that there was no one else" in the house. In fact, there were five people in the house and all five were soon to be caught in the slow and certain squeeze of the TSG teams.

TSG officers entered the four-story home en masse with shields up and interlocking when they were able, forming a formidable barrier to anyone in the structure. Officers cleared each floor and room in an orderly fashion. When finding a subject in a room, the group of officers would press in with their shields, cornering the subject and pressing them tightly against the wall or furniture. Other officers then can reach in between the shields to handcuff the subject. Shields are angled out, allowing officers to retrieve the subject and escort them out of the house to an awaiting transport vehicle.

Systematically, the officers advanced through the house, looking much like a modern-day version of Roman legionnaires advancing into battle with their full-length shields. All of the subjects were arrested without much of a confrontation and the situation was solved.

TSG members also work in concert with Public Order personnel who deal with the many demonstrations in the city and must undergo strenuous training including actually being set on fire by a petrol bomb". Protesters are notorious for pelting officers with rocks, bottles, and petrol bombs.

And the London Metropolitan Police come through these incidents with aplomb and still keep the peace. They even are required to wear a necktie underneath their Nomex coveralls and riot gear.

Parker concluded his training with a visit and dinner at the famous New Scotland Yard. He says additional training is scheduled to be provided for London Metropolitan Police and the Dublin Airport Police next year.

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Note to editors: Photos of hats, London officers arresting drug dealers, officers entering house with barricaded subject and group photo in front of New Scotland Yard are available as high-resolution JPEGs.