Editing British Transport Police (section)

==== Firearms unit ====
In May 2011, the [[Secretary of State for Transport]] announced with agreement from the [[Home Secretary]] that approval had been given for BTP to develop a firearms capability following a submission to government in December by BTP.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/david-allen-green/2011/06/armed-officers-police-btp |title=Why are we arming the British Transport Police? |last=Green |first=David Allen |newspaper=[[New Statesman]]|access-date=21 September 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-13521747|title=Transport police to be armed to counter terror threat|date=24 May 2011 |work=[[BBC News]]|access-date=21 September 2015}}</ref><ref name="Hammond">{{cite press release |author=The Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP |title=Provision of armed capability for the British Transport Police |url=http://www.dft.gov.uk/press/speechesstatements/statements/hammond20110524 |website=Department for Transport |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110528125813/http://www.dft.gov.uk/press/speechesstatements/statements/hammond20110524|archive-date=28 May 2011}}</ref> Government stated that this was not in response to any specific threat, and pointed out that it equipped the BTP with a capability that was already available to other police forces and that BTP relied upon police forces for assistance which was a burden.<ref name="Hammond" />

In February 2012, BTP [[Authorised Firearms Officer|firearms officers]] commenced patrols focusing on mainline stations in [[London]] and transport hubs to provide a visible deterrence and immediate armed response if necessary.<ref>{{cite web |title=BTP Firearms Capability |url=http://www.btp.police.uk/about_us/btp_firearms_capability.aspx |website=British Transport Police |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110612024759/http://www.btp.police.uk/about_us/btp_firearms_capability.aspx|archive-date=12 June 2011}}</ref> Firearms officers carry a [[Glock 17L|Glock 17]] handgun and a [[Lewis Machine and Tool Company|LMT]] CQB 10.5" SBR carbine that may be fitted with a [[suppressor]] and are trained to [[armed response vehicle]] standard.<ref name="BTPFOI">{{cite web |title=Firearms used by British Transport Police - Freedom of Information Request 794-14 |url=https://www.btp.police.uk/pdf/FOI%20Response%20794-14%20Firearms%20used%20by%20BTP.pdf |website=British Transport Police |access-date=31 May 2017}}</ref>{{refn|The Firearms Unit whilst training firearms officers to Armed Response Vehicle (ARV) standard does not conduct ARV patrols; however, it uses vehicles to transport officers and tactical equipment to and from stations.<ref>{{cite web |title=Armed response call outs - Freedom of Information Request 937-14 |url=https://www.btp.police.uk/pdf/FOI%20Response%20937-14%20Armed%20response%20calls.pdf |website=British Transport Police|access-date=31 May 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last=Williams |first=Mark |title=British Transport Police|journal=Top Cover. The Police Firearms Officers Association Magazine |volume=Spring 2013|issue=3 |pages=8–9 |url=https://issuu.com/pfoa/docs/top_cover_issue_3_contents_web/8 |access-date=31 May 2017}}</ref>|group=Note}}

In 2014, the [[Firearms Act 1968]] was amended to recognise BTP as a police force under the Act in order to provide BTP a firearms licensing exemption the same as other police forces.<ref>{{Cite legislation UK |type=act|year=2014|chapter =12|act=Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014}}</ref>

In December 2016, firearms officers commenced patrolling on board train services on the [[London Underground]].<ref name="AFOMay2017" />

In May 2017, as part of the response to the [[Manchester Arena bombing]], it was announced that firearms officers would patrol on board trains outside London for the first time.<ref name="AFOMay2017">{{cite press release |url=http://media.btp.police.uk/r/14198/specialist_firearms_officers_to_patrol_on_trains_|title=Specialist firearms officers to patrol on trains as part of threat level change|date=25 May 2017 |publisher=British Transport Police|access-date=25 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170529021116/http://media.btp.police.uk/r/14198/specialist_firearms_officers_to_patrol_on_trains_ |archive-date=29 May 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

In June 2017, BTP announced that the force firearms capability would be expanding outside of London with plans to establish armouries and hubs at [[Birmingham]] and [[Manchester]]. In October 2017, BTP commenced an internal advertisement requesting expressions of interest from substantive constables for the role of firearms officers at Birmingham and Manchester.{{Citation needed|date=February 2021}}