Come try our job, say London's armed cops

The ultimate shoot-em-up?

By Lester Haines • Get more from this author

Posted in Public Sector, 3rd January 2007 10:32 GMT

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Scotland Yard's specialist firearms unit is offering the public the chance to check out just how difficult its job can be, the BBC reports.

Participants will not, mercifully, be asked to chase Brazilians into London Tube stations, but rather to "test how they would respond in a typical firearms scenario by using laser guns in a video simulation".

Pairs of amateur CO19 sharpshooters will have to decide whether or not to pop a cap in an armed suspect - a scenario designed to "replicate the split-second decision making process firearms officers go through when confronted by someone wielding a gun". If they decide not to open fire, the video will sometimes continue to "show the suspect shooting an innocent member of the public".

After the shoot-em-up experience, the team will be asked to "recall information about the scenario to show how difficult it is to accurately remember simple details in such a fast-paced and stressful environment".

Assistant Commissioner Tarique Ghafur said it was "important for people to experience a realistic scenario, rather than one fuelled by TV and film images". ®

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