Chief Constable Russ Foster has robustly defended the redeployment of armed police, saying the island “was vulnerable without it” and is now in a “much safer place”.
Responding to questions from the Police Committee, Mr Foster said there are now “fewer trained armed officers” than when he started in 2023, but they have been repositioned to be “more forward facing.”
He argued this was a necessary response to the island’s unique risk profile.
“The combination of the number of firearms on this island per head of population, I think, outweighs anywhere in the UK,” Mr Foster said.
He linked this to a “significant number of people who are suffering from mental health issues,” creating a dangerous mix.
Saved Lives
The Chief Constable revealed that armed officers have already been deployed to incidents involving people in crisis with weapons, “including firearms threatening to take their own life.”
He said deploying unarmed officers to such threats was “wholly inappropriate” and failed to safeguard staff and added that officers have saved lives.
He dismissed criticism of bringing “big city ways” to the island and cited shootings in other rural jurisdictions like the Derek Bird shootings in Cumbria as evidence that a capable armed response is essential.
A strict command process governs deployments, requiring a threat assessment and dual authorisation from tactical and strategic firearms commanders.
Mr Foster emphasised that officers carry “less lethal options” and are trained in negotiation, using lethal force only as a last resort.
“The rhetoric on social media… we don’t want it here,” he acknowledged. However, he concluded the capability provides “reassurance to the Manx public” and was “absolutely the right decision”.