Ill Met
Now that many serious criminals use guns, the Metropolitan police have a dangerous as well as difficult job. They are understandably nervous of being shot. This may explain, but does not really excuse re- cent incidents in which three men have been shot and seriously wounded by armed Lon- don police. We have an armed police force now, and there is nothing to be done about that. But it may not be too late to prevent us from acquiring a police force that is not only armed but in the habit of shooting first, and on suspicion. The review of firearms training announced by Sir Kenneth Newman is welcome; but while the police remain capable of such acts of awe- inspiring clumsiness and folly as the recent arrest of one of Ken Livingstone's apparat- chiks on Waterloo Bridge, it is difficult to feel as much confidence as one would like in the results of Sir Kenneth's review.
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