Once again...

[CharlesHarris]

Is there any public discussion about off-duty police carrying weapons when in plainclothes, which is the usual practice in the US. If serving military could legally carry weapons when off duty in plainclothes this would also be a force multiplier.

The same would be true for recently retired military or police. All quite common in the US and while less common elsewhere, there are one or two EU countries who have similar discreet practices for selected personnel who are screened, selected, trained and given credentials to do so.

In the US a concealed carry permit generally requires an FBI and state police fingerprint and background check, and for the recipient to complete a training course and qualify with the weapon, much to the same degree that armed private security guards at banks, hotels, airports, etc. are trained.

My understanding is that police in the UK are not routinely trained and qualified with firearms, as in the US and that only certain specialized officers are assigned to armed response. Maybe that needs to change first, but it would require a huge investment in both training, equipment, attitude adjustment and the political will.

My suggestion would be for your PM to ask President Trump so send 100 each of your career police to attend the US Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, Georgia, and another 100 to the FBI National Academy. Your police organizations could sort out and use those US methods which appear to have the most promise, and assign those personnel to form a training cadre to start immediately with new academy classes and career officers recycling cycled back for inservice training.

Your government could also encourage serving military personnel, experienced NCOs with combat experience in Iraq or Afghanistan to take early retirement and laterally transfer into the police and MI5 to work directly in counter-terrorism at home. This approach has been going on in a continuing basis in the US since 9/11 and has been highly successful.