Does anyone happen to know the police procedure in the UK for a gun attack?
 

Don’t worry, I’m not planning on doing one myself.

It’s for my next book. The main characters (one of which is a detective sergeant) are walking through the town when a gun man suddenly starts shooting from a multi story car park above them.
Can anyone help with what the police actually do in a situation like this? If it helps, it’s not a terrorist incident (though I would imagine that it would be treated as such until they know otherwise).

Thanks in advance :love:

Can you not contact your local pd and ask them?

‘Hello officer, I would like to know what the emergency procedure for gun crime is, I’m writing a book, it’s definitely not for anything else... I promise’

Find a friendly copper, offer to buy them lunch if you can pick their brains.

I did wonder about this :joker:

Yeah, I wasn't sure if the local PD would be able to give that much information out given the current climate.

Authors are well known for accompanying police on cases or interviewing officers for intel on books they are writing, obviously that's what I meant....

If you can prove to them you are writing a book then they will probably be more accommodating than you think Rob

I took my GP to lunch when I was writing an article about drugs. A while ago now, but she was kind of flattered and I got all the info I needed. Of course, that's quite different from an armed police situation.

I have a friend in the police that I can try asking him if you like but he's terrible to get a hold of, failing that I have another friend of the family that's now retired I could ask him if you like?

Yeah, I think they'll be keen for him to get it right.

I might pop into the station and ask if anyone can help me.

I've tried looking on Google but most of it is do with the police in America and I'm guessing they do things slightly differently seeing as the police seem to have guns on them to deal with things like speeding.

If you could, that would be amazing. I mean, that part obviously would just take up a chapter at most, but I'd like to get it right.

If research doesn't pan out, you might just have to be a little vague when it comes to details like that.

I've done it a few times in my books when I've not been able to find an answer to something so I kinda gloss over the details and put more focus elsewhere. In this case, I'd focus more on the horror of the situation and how it unfolds rather than the specifics of the armed response.

Yeah, thanks. I've put some feelers out on Twitter amongst the writers community and asked a couple of people I know who might be able to push me in the right direction. If my MC wasn't a police officer it might be easier to gloss over but I feel like I need to be a bit more specific with the details.

I've asked him I'll let you know if/when he replies

...I have a few links here but I’m not sure if they’ll give you what you want...I’ll send them to you, Rob...

I should think they would phone for armed response, then try and clear the area safely.

Not the plot of Luther. :omgno:

The police retreat take cover and request armed officers, first to arrive will be an arv armed response vehicle with armed officers, who set up a perimeter.