Skip to main content
Skip to main navigation
Skip to talk navigation

Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Saved Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Flip

MNHQ have commented on this thread

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

MNHQ have commented on this thread

News

Soldier beheaded in Woolwich and it took police 20 mins

161 replies

bkgirl · 22/05/2013 19:35

Why am I not surprised? 20 minutes, what chance do we have with this pathetic response. As for the barracks...why couldn't someone come out with a gun and at least prevent these guys from attacking anyone else. Who was guarding the army base - do they have guns? Dreadful.

OP posts:

Report

Januarymadness · 22/05/2013 21:59

This was not inside or near to the main entrance of the barracks. The barracks are protected. This happened in the Street, heading towards the town centre

bkgirl · 22/05/2013 22:00

Nicetabard, around army barracks they should be armed just because of situations like this. The Afghanistan and Iraq situations alone justify this degree of protection.

OP posts:

bkgirl · 22/05/2013 22:02

Thank you January.

OP posts:

NiceTabard · 22/05/2013 22:09

What about ordinary people who live in areas with high levels of crime?
What about individuals who are at high risk of being attacked?
Especially when these risks are much higher than the risks to a soldier in barracks in the UK?

There are people who are at much more risk every day in the UK, yet there is no massive call for them to be protected 24/7 with armed guards.

bkgirl · 22/05/2013 22:11

"MPs last night praised the ?extraordinary bravery? of the women and raised concerns about why it took armed police 20 minutes to arrive at the scene while people?s lives were at risk.
According to a security source the delay in the armed police response is ?particularly surprising? because there is a heavily armed police presence at Woolwich Crown Court, which is just two and a half miles away."

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/terrorism-in-the-uk/10074881/Mum-talked-down-Woolwich-terrorists-who-told-her-We-want-to-start-a-war-in-London-tonight.html

These women were so brave. :(

OP posts:

scaevola · 22/05/2013 22:15

As you know about NI rules, you'll also know why they don't read across into this situation.

I am sure the police response will be part of IPCC enquiry that has already been announced.

NiceTabard · 22/05/2013 22:16

Depends what the traffic's like.
You got the time for the incident to be reported, assessed, armed police required, called, and then they've got to get there through london traffic.
20 mins is pretty good I reckon.
If you want quicker then you need armed police on the streets just generally, and lots of them, everywhere.

ThatVikRinA22 · 22/05/2013 22:41

armed response would not have been first on scene i doubt, 999 in my force have a 15 min response time - and there are very few armed response or ARVs left these days. Inner city london with associated traffic would probably warrant a longer response time.

i am going to take a mn break. so sick of this shit.

bkgirl · 22/05/2013 23:59

Ok so 20 mins to respond to a terrorist incident is fine by all here, except me.

I really wonder if the poor soldiers family is so understanding.

OP posts:

JakeBullet · 23/05/2013 06:29

No it's not "fine" or "okay" but given that we don't know what else they were dealing with, what information they were given and what the staffing levels were like we have to err in the side of caution before condemning them.

JakeBullet · 23/05/2013 06:46

bkgirl, apparently police WERE on the scene well before 20 mins but were not allowed to approach without armed police. It was 20 mins for armed police to arrive...not unreasonable given that we don't arm police in our country.

Ledkr · 23/05/2013 06:51

Far more worrying is that I just heard them on the news question.why it was FEMALE officers who responded!
FFS

AuntieStella · 23/05/2013 07:03

Why is that worrying?

OrangeFootedScrubfowl · 23/05/2013 07:04

That is depressing Ledkr.

Boyadee indicated on Twitter he was impressed by the female policewoman. According to him, one of the men went to attack her with his machete, clearly on drugs, and she stayed completely calm and shot him.

Sounds like she did what was needed as efficiently as anyone could have possibly done.

AuntieStella · 23/05/2013 07:14

I've just looked up the Met response times.

For a highest category incident (which I hope this would have been classified, but that also depends on how the first 999 callers described it), the target response time is 15 minutes, and then ARV is called in by those on the scene if needed.

To get everyone there in 20 minutes looks like a very fast response.

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 23/05/2013 07:17

Am wondering if it was thought they would be less likely to attack women officers.

Obviously they weren't though.

SorrelForbes · 23/05/2013 07:26

As a ex-member of the forces and also married to a serving member, I can tell you OP, you haven't got a fucking clue what you're talking about. Are you incapable of understanding that what we are fed by the media is not the whole story? Do you really think that armed response arriving in say, 5 mins, would have stopped this death?

The female office will have acted as per instructions. I would imagine that the directive was to disarm and not to kill.

McKayz · 23/05/2013 07:32

Why is it depressing that female officers went? They are allowed to be police officers you know.

landofsoapandglory · 23/05/2013 07:36

I'm married to a serving member of the forces as well. They aren't just sitting around with guns just incase some nutter decides to kill someone outside the gates. They have jobs to do. The people on the gate, sometimes they do have guns, can not just turn the gun on someone either, there are strict rules they have to follow.

I understand emotions are running high, but sometimes it is best to think first, post/speak later.

landofsoapandglory · 23/05/2013 07:38

I think Ledkr means that it is depressing that someone on the news asked the question why female officers went.

Ledkr · 23/05/2013 07:40

Thankyou landof that's obviously what I meant.
I'm amazed anyone would think otherwise.

McKayz · 23/05/2013 07:43

Ahhh right, that makes more sense now.

Ledkr · 23/05/2013 07:47

It made perfect sense anyway! Misunderstanding didn't require sarcasm!

Bossybritches22 · 23/05/2013 07:48

Op given that we don't routinely arm officers, that the horrific events were probably being reported in a somewhat confused series of messages I think 20 mins understandable if not (in an ideal world) acceptable. The officers would have to come through busy traffic. , having no doubt had to check their weapons out of safe storage, have some kind of briefing before getting there.

So easy to criticise after the event, & yes maybe strategies can be reviewed in light of this escalation of terrorism (if indeed it is as opposed to one pair of deluded fanatics). However it seems to me given the nature of the incident it is lucky no further lives were lost.

AuntieStella · 23/05/2013 09:00

Thanks ledkr - I did initially interpret it as your question, not your report of a question asked by another and as it was a short post I didn't grasp your take on it. Glad it's clarified.

Flip

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.