The government will table an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill that means firearms officers who go to criminal trial following a shooting are granted anonymity.

The measure comes as part of wider reforms entering parliament around police accountability and is designed to give officers greater confidence to carry out their roles.

The Bill will provide a presumption of anonymity to officers during court proceedings and in media reporting up until the point of conviction.

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Home secretary Yvette Cooper said anonymity would protect firearms officers and their families from threats by criminal gangs, and would “improve the timeliness and appropriateness of investigations into police use of force”.

She said: “The proud British tradition of policing by consent depends on mutual bonds of trust between the police and the communities they serve.

“That’s why we have set out an ambitious package of measures to rebuild both public trust in policing and the confidence of police officers in their vital work to keep the public safe.

“Police officers in specialist roles who make split-second decisions to keep the public safe must have the confidence to carry out their duties, knowing that the systems which hold them to account for their decisions are fair.

“Too often those processes have involved unacceptable delays and confusion, which has been damaging both for the police and the public. These changes will help to boost confidence that the system will work swiftly and effectively for all those involved.”

Firearms officers’ use of force came under the spotlight in 2023 when a Supreme Court judge dismissed an appeal by a police officer over a historic case when a suspect was shot.

The officer was subject to misconduct proceedings, directed by the Independent Office for Police Conduct, but the Metropolitan Police challenged this because it felt the officer had acted in self-defence.

 

 

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