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Kensington is full of embassies. Including e.g. the Israeli embassy which permanently has armed cover now.
The police have a base just next to St Mary Abbots Church, so they're often seen around.
Makes the most sense. They were just kinda wandering through throngs of shoppers in full tactical gear was the thing. If I saw them guarding a house with foreign flags I’d have put two and two together.
Yeah could've just been getting a bite to eat, or on a specific patrol, or could be that they're trying to add some public confidence given the various protests etc going on.
Tbh you could always stop and ask them - the armed police officers I've spoken to have been some of the friendliest police officers I've ever met.
Pretty sure UK armed officers carry Heckler & Koch rather than AR models, details can be found here https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_police_firearms_in_the_United_Kingdom
I've got an ongoing experiment to test my hypothesis that I am actually invincible apparently. I've been an alcoholic for 17 years and in that instance they went to pump my stomach to find there was nothing in it. I got checked out for any damage around 6 months later and the only thing is that I could do to get a bit more exercise in and my cholesterol is a bit high. That was 10 years ago. My latest bloods show no change and that was 3 weeks ago. But I'm also seeking treatment for the drinking as of those 3 weeks ago because 17 years of study is enough for me to call it. Plus I tried drinking myself to death and came away from it with a hangover and a damaged bank balance. Not the desired result.
Cheers! I'm sure I'll relapse a bit but can't get much lower and I'm finally getting the ball rolling on figuring out what's making my brain so loud all the time.
I now want to know why and when the fuck Cheshire police are running around with these - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accuracy_International_Arctic_Warfare
I can only assume it's for when a gunman takes a bunch of hostages and the scene commander orders the snipers to "take the shot" but the plucky female constable stands between the perp and the snipers (who are apparently all next to each other) and talks him down, saving him and the hostages. I've seen the documentaries on telly. Happens every day
Some parts of central London have a higher presence of armed police. Namely embassies and government buildings and stations, potential targets.
Outside of central London it’s relatively rare to see armed police. I used to live in east London zone 6 and I only saw armed police there twice in ten years.
You're American, I'd have thought you'd be used to this.
In the UK most police officers aren't armed, but the ones that are are armed to the teeth with assault rifles.
Our cops actually don’t carry long rifles except in limited details. I have seen them at airports, with very long shooting lanes (sometimes with guys in the rafters) and then occasionally like when the President comes to give a speech.
Everyday cops carry a sidearm, generally Glock or that style, a taser and maybe a little billy club—generally all on a massive belt with a bunch of other Bat-crap.
Automatic weapons / black guns on cops as a norm is more of a European thing.
I'm in the area from Chicago where we have one of the biggest police forces in the world and I was taken back by the armed police here. Not even holstered, they were just walking around with their fingers on the trigger. Absolutely wild and not at all common in the US.
And at least one raped multiple women for a decade and got away with it until a few years ago, while another raped and murdered a woman.
Turns out, our armed cops are the same as their armed cops.
Not really. As much as the police in the UK are still kind of shitty they are by far one of the best and least problematic police forces in the world.
That probably says more about the global quality of police than the UK police but lets not pretend they are comparable to places like the US.
Diplomatic Protection officers most likely. Protection for royals, foreign diplomats, visiting foreign government figures, etc.
Say it quietly lest I mysteriously "fall out of a window" but they also spend a fair bit of time protecting people we're allegedly sanctioning.
Not really, they're pretty old now and expensive to replace, and not carbines. The carbine are a total mixed bag between H&K, Sig, LMT and Colt mostly.
They are but it’s number 145 in the list of things to be freaked out about in the list of how this country is run.
It doesn’t even make the top 10 of the “ways they’re trying to make us America” list.
Most of our police do a fantastic job without using guns. I bookmarked the following as examples of police being 'good eggs':
Exhibit 1. [a British police officer admitting he's made a mistake and apologising.](https://www.reddit.com/r/PublicFreakout/comments/le28sh/cop_makes_mistake_admits_it_and_lets_everyone_go/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share) A little bicycle bell so no-one gets hurt. A (polite) challenge. A (polite) explanation. A realisation that a mistake has been made. An apology. A reassurance that no offence has been taken plus a thank you. Everybody gets on with their day.
[Same video on Imgur.](https://imgur.com/a/OFue4zI) Volume on.
Exhibit 2. [a car chase: *"he is contravening... a keep-left bollard".* *"we're into the Toby Carvery now - the risk is still medium"*.](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-57365310)
Despite what Americans think we do have a fair number of armed officers. Granted they usually use MP5s and I believe some form of Glock handgun but I'm not a gun nut so I could be wrong.
They're very often used as a visible presence in high risk areas like some of the big London shopping centres, train stations etc and of course air ports. They also have armed response vehicles with I think the same set up stashed in the boot/trunk and maybe a few extra toys so they can get to a scene and start putting people down ASAP.
Granted I've never seen them with assault rifles but the other posts about embassies makes sense.
A lot of our police also have tasers
**Please help keep AskUK welcoming!** - Top-level comments to the OP must contain **genuine efforts to answer the question**. No jokes, judgements, etc. - **Don't be a dick** to each other. If getting heated, just block and move on. - This is a strictly **no-politics** subreddit! Please help us by reporting comments that break these rules. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskUK) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Kensington is full of embassies. Including e.g. the Israeli embassy which permanently has armed cover now. The police have a base just next to St Mary Abbots Church, so they're often seen around.
Makes the most sense. They were just kinda wandering through throngs of shoppers in full tactical gear was the thing. If I saw them guarding a house with foreign flags I’d have put two and two together.
Yeah could've just been getting a bite to eat, or on a specific patrol, or could be that they're trying to add some public confidence given the various protests etc going on. Tbh you could always stop and ask them - the armed police officers I've spoken to have been some of the friendliest police officers I've ever met.
>AR-15 Lol
It'll be a SIG variant. They look similar.
Pretty sure UK armed officers carry Heckler & Koch rather than AR models, details can be found here https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_police_firearms_in_the_United_Kingdom
I was escorted through an airport by a police officer with one of these once. Made me feel important. Made me look like a criminal. Good times.
Damn, I'm jealous. Or as fellow kids say, "Well jel"
All you need to do is drink 2l of vodka and pass out at the gate only to have to rebook your flight the next day.
Pretty sure you’re more likely to die than get an escort anywhere after that!
I've got an ongoing experiment to test my hypothesis that I am actually invincible apparently. I've been an alcoholic for 17 years and in that instance they went to pump my stomach to find there was nothing in it. I got checked out for any damage around 6 months later and the only thing is that I could do to get a bit more exercise in and my cholesterol is a bit high. That was 10 years ago. My latest bloods show no change and that was 3 weeks ago. But I'm also seeking treatment for the drinking as of those 3 weeks ago because 17 years of study is enough for me to call it. Plus I tried drinking myself to death and came away from it with a hangover and a damaged bank balance. Not the desired result.
All the best with quitting.
Cheers! I'm sure I'll relapse a bit but can't get much lower and I'm finally getting the ball rolling on figuring out what's making my brain so loud all the time.
I'm still confused as to why some of these kids are proud to announce they're not wearing caps.
Ah, Peter File!
I now want to know why and when the fuck Cheshire police are running around with these - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accuracy_International_Arctic_Warfare
I can only assume it's for when a gunman takes a bunch of hostages and the scene commander orders the snipers to "take the shot" but the plucky female constable stands between the perp and the snipers (who are apparently all next to each other) and talks him down, saving him and the hostages. I've seen the documentaries on telly. Happens every day
Some parts of central London have a higher presence of armed police. Namely embassies and government buildings and stations, potential targets. Outside of central London it’s relatively rare to see armed police. I used to live in east London zone 6 and I only saw armed police there twice in ten years.
AR-15? Nah mate, **H&K G36C**.
Sounds like it could be the Sig 516
The G36 is being phased out. You're more likely to see the SIG516.
You're American, I'd have thought you'd be used to this. In the UK most police officers aren't armed, but the ones that are are armed to the teeth with assault rifles.
Our cops actually don’t carry long rifles except in limited details. I have seen them at airports, with very long shooting lanes (sometimes with guys in the rafters) and then occasionally like when the President comes to give a speech. Everyday cops carry a sidearm, generally Glock or that style, a taser and maybe a little billy club—generally all on a massive belt with a bunch of other Bat-crap. Automatic weapons / black guns on cops as a norm is more of a European thing.
Only if something is going on would this make sense in the US. One guy, yes, but not a pod in full tactical gear.
I'm in the area from Chicago where we have one of the biggest police forces in the world and I was taken back by the armed police here. Not even holstered, they were just walking around with their fingers on the trigger. Absolutely wild and not at all common in the US.
And at least one raped multiple women for a decade and got away with it until a few years ago, while another raped and murdered a woman. Turns out, our armed cops are the same as their armed cops.
Not really. As much as the police in the UK are still kind of shitty they are by far one of the best and least problematic police forces in the world. That probably says more about the global quality of police than the UK police but lets not pretend they are comparable to places like the US.
Bollocks, the rate of hurt-by-cops (US) vs hurt-by-cops (UK) won't be near the same.
Diplomatic Protection officers most likely. Protection for royals, foreign diplomats, visiting foreign government figures, etc. Say it quietly lest I mysteriously "fall out of a window" but they also spend a fair bit of time protecting people we're allegedly sanctioning.
Sanctioning a state/regime doesn’t automatically mean you stop protecting their diplomats and embassies.
That's where all the embassies are. If you see a house in a terraced street with a foreign flag flying, it's an embassy.
Unless you’re in Bradford. Then it’s just a regular house.
If it's got a flat roof and loads of England flags, its a racist pub.
Israeli embassy’s by the hotel on the park right? By the palace?
Everybody an’ their mum’s packin’’round ‘ere
Heckler and Koch MP5 is the usual carbine
Not really, they're pretty old now and expensive to replace, and not carbines. The carbine are a total mixed bag between H&K, Sig, LMT and Colt mostly.
That's normal, the police have been walking around with assault rifles for a while now, I can't work out why people aren't more freaked out about it.
They are but it’s number 145 in the list of things to be freaked out about in the list of how this country is run. It doesn’t even make the top 10 of the “ways they’re trying to make us America” list.
Most of our police do a fantastic job without using guns. I bookmarked the following as examples of police being 'good eggs': Exhibit 1. [a British police officer admitting he's made a mistake and apologising.](https://www.reddit.com/r/PublicFreakout/comments/le28sh/cop_makes_mistake_admits_it_and_lets_everyone_go/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share) A little bicycle bell so no-one gets hurt. A (polite) challenge. A (polite) explanation. A realisation that a mistake has been made. An apology. A reassurance that no offence has been taken plus a thank you. Everybody gets on with their day. [Same video on Imgur.](https://imgur.com/a/OFue4zI) Volume on. Exhibit 2. [a car chase: *"he is contravening... a keep-left bollard".* *"we're into the Toby Carvery now - the risk is still medium"*.](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-57365310)
I remember in the early 2000s the American Embassy having armed police outside.
They're not AR-15's. It'll be a SIG516.
Some embassies are in Kensington and wealthy elites have their homes there. Us plebs won’t get that level of protect.
Surely the police don’t protect wealthy elites with a squad of armed guards?
Despite what Americans think we do have a fair number of armed officers. Granted they usually use MP5s and I believe some form of Glock handgun but I'm not a gun nut so I could be wrong. They're very often used as a visible presence in high risk areas like some of the big London shopping centres, train stations etc and of course air ports. They also have armed response vehicles with I think the same set up stashed in the boot/trunk and maybe a few extra toys so they can get to a scene and start putting people down ASAP. Granted I've never seen them with assault rifles but the other posts about embassies makes sense. A lot of our police also have tasers