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Suspect: The Shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes
I was involved in the filming of this important drama - as a Supporting Artiste, not a Police Advisor - you can see me in the still above...
Andy Oldham


A busy start to the year
If you're reading this in January then I'm confident it's not too late to wish you a Happy New Year. If it's later in 2025 (or 2026,...
Andy Oldham


Happy Christmas!
Unbeliveably, another year has flown by and Christmas is upon us. If you are celebrating, or even if you are not, I wish you a happy and...
Andy Oldham


The shooting of Chris Kaba
Yesterday (21st October 2024) saw the conclusion of the trial of a serving Metropolitan firearms officer, accused of murdering a man who...
Andy Oldham


Armed Policing Part 7 - Uniform and Equipment
In this last part of our Armed Policing blog (for now), I'm going to take a look at the uniform and equipment worn and used by armed...
Andy Oldham


Armed Policing Part 6 - CTSFOs
CTSFOs - Counter Terrorist Specialist Firearms Officers - are the most highly trained and best equipped armed police officers in the UK....
Andy Oldham


Armed Policing Part 5 - ARVs
Every UK police force deploys Armed Response Vehicles (ARVs), on duty all day, every day, 365 days a year. They are the 24/7 armed...
Andy Oldham


Policing the riots
I've been wondering for a few days what to write about the ongoing far right unrest which is blighting many towns in the UK at the...
Andy Oldham


Armed Policing Part 4 - Tactics
If you've read my previous blog entries about armed policing, then you may recall that the Tactical Firearms Commander (TFC) makes the...
Andy Oldham


Armed Policing Part 3 - the SFC
In an earlier blog post I outlined the role of the TFC - the tactical firearms commander - who has responsibility for deciding to deploy...
Andy Oldham


Armed Policing Part 2 - the OFC
All firearms operations have a command structure, which is defined and explained in the College of Policing Authorised Professional...
Andy Oldham


Armed Policing Part 1 - the TFC
First off, full disclosure - this is the role I performed in the Metropolitan Police for 5 years! TFC stands for Tactical Firearms...
Andy Oldham


Armed Policing - Introducing a new series
Many TV and film dramas portray British armed police, and as you might expect, there's a whole spectrum of authenticity on show from the...
Andy Oldham


Hainault Heroes
Every right minded person will be shocked and appalled at the violence delivered in Hainault early yesterday morning, when an attacker...
Andy Oldham


Freezing in "July"!
As well as my Police Advisor work, I also spend time as a Supporting Artiste - extra - on various productions. Often I'm portraying a...
Andy Oldham


Inside, outside
What does the inside and outside of a police station look like? Maybe you already know?! It seems like a simple enough question, and I...
Andy Oldham


Police Top Tropes: #5
Armed police seem to be a real staple of even the gentlest police and crime dramas these days. And why not - armed officers are highly...
Andy Oldham


Quick hat chat
Police officer hats -- maybe you've never given it much thought... There are of course the obvious ones - the iconic custodian helmet...
Andy Oldham


Police Top Tropes: #4
I saw this quite recently on a crime drama set in contemporary times, and it really jarred. Police officers (male and female) were at the...
Andy Oldham


Police Top Tropes: #3
Ever watched a police drama where the police are undertaking a tense interview with a hardened criminal? You know the score - it's all...
Andy Oldham
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