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Armed Policing

Armed Policing — Authorised Professional Practice

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Summary

The Armed Policing APP module provides guidance on the appropriate issue and use of firearms and related less-lethal options within the police service. It sets the framework for the training of all relevant police personnel concerning the operational use of firearms and emphasizes command issues at various levels—strategic, tactical, and operational. The guidance covers command structures and operational considerations for deploying Authorised Firearms Officers (AFOs). The term 'must' indicates a legal obligation or a strong recommendation endorsed by the NPCC Chief Constables’ Council. Officers are encouraged to act innovatively to address dynamic situations effectively and lawfully, without being confined to the APP's content.

Key principles

  • 1Guidance on firearms and related less-lethal options use
  • 2Training framework for operational firearms use
  • 3Command structure guidance for deploying AFOs

Full guidance

This page is from APP, the official source of professional practice for policing.

guidance on the appropriate issue and use of firearms and related less lethal options within the police service * a basis for the training of all relevant police staff in matters relating to the operational use of firearms. This includes command issues at strategic, tactical and operational levels * guidance on command structures, tactical options and operational issues associated with the deployment of Authorised Firearms Officers (AFOs)

This APP on Armed Policing (AP-APP) module does not seek to be prescriptive in terms of its content, however, where the term ‘must’ appears, it is to be interpreted as follows:

> A police force or an individual officer is under a positive obligation in law, or that given the gravity of the issue, the inclusion of the term ‘must’ has been approved by NPCC Chief Constables’ Council, thereby endorsing the need for this action to be completed. > > If a chief officer determines it necessary to issue separate instructions, due to the operational context or legal provisions appertaining in a specific jurisdiction, they should ensure that the evidence base for their decision is provided by their Armed Policing Strategic Threat and Risk Assessment (APSTRA) and that a documented audit trail explaining their rationale for doing so is maintained.

It is recognised that situations involving the deployment of AFOs, by their very nature, often involve a set of circumstances which are constantly evolving. Nothing within AP-APP is intended to restrict police officers from taking innovative action to effectively and lawfully resolve incidents in ways which are not included in this guidance.

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Reproduced from the College of Policing Authorised Professional Practice under the Open Government Licence v3.0, as captured on 2026-06-27. APP is amended over time — check the source link below for the current version. This is a reference, not operational authorisation.

APP is the authoritative source for UK policing practice and is updated over time. For the current, official version — including any operational detail not reproduced here — go direct.

Read the full APP guidance

Source: College of Policing — Authorised Professional Practice · Crown copyright, licensed under Open Government Licence v3.0. Summary fetched 2026-06-27.