We love to use an acronym in the Met, I am far from knowing them all, but here's a thread to help understand some you may see us use on this account 🧵

🚔 Caught in under 2 hours Officers and our helicopter team arrested two e-bike thieves who committed a series of phone snatches across Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea. Together, Parkinson and Wilson face a combined sentence of over 5 years.

We are down at Nugent Shopping Park in St Mary Cray with @LondonFire for the Community Impact Day. Come along and say hi 👋

5 arrests overnight from 3 different vehicles linked to violent crime and weapons, thank you for the assistance of @HertsPolice who helped detain a vehicle intent on escape, damaging multiple police vehicles but thankfully no injury.

#ARRESTED A man has been arrested in Hornchurch after he was seen walking around with a large samurai sword. The man was detained safely by officers from response team and specialised firearms units. No one was injured during this incident. The investigation is ongoing.

So thank you to @MPSCamden officers this weekend for prompt attendance and updating the TFC allowing the stand down of armed officers.

This info was invaluable as they managed to determine that the 'machete' was actually a metal ruler. Meaning that they could deal with the subject, who turns out was suffering mental ill health, without further risk to anyone else.

All checks completed by the POD and the information supplied to the TFC suggested that declaring the incident as an armed deployment was the correct decision. As part of the information gathering unarmed borough colleagues managed to locate the subject and provide further info.

Sometimes, we receive a call where all information points towards the need for an armed deployment. One such call in @MPSCamden over the weekend suggested that someone was armed with a machete and threatening to kill people.

We will often ask for assistance from @MPSTaskforce and @NPASLondon to help identify and contain the subject. As well as calling on the local CCTV cameras in the area. This leads me on to the point which raised this series of posts.

Once declared as an armed deployment the closest ARV units will be assigned. Whilst travelling to the incident the OFC will continue to ask questions to the control room for further information they would like, as well as requesting additional resources.

Using the information that they have gathered, along with intelligence checks on policing systems the TFC will have to make a decision on whether an armed deployment is necessary. The are bound by the @CollegeofPolice criteria for deployment.

The ARV POD, will speak directly with the informant where possible and try and ascertain as much detail as they can. This will include, but not limited to, descriptions of the subject that presents a risk, their demeanour, access to weapons and descriptions.

Learning time - our role as firearms officers is to protect those that are unarmed, when @MetCC get information from the public that there is a threat that our unarmed colleagues may struggle to deal with safely then they will pass the call to the ARV POD.

PAN London working on show last night by ARV and unarmed colleagues. First to @MPSWForest where we conducted life saving first aid on someone stabbed multiple times. Before, 8 HOURS LATER, stopping and arresting a linked suspect in @MPSHaringey #noescape

A jury has unanimously cleared a Met firearms officer of murder following the police shooting of Chris Kaba in Lambeth in September 2022. Watch Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley's statement.

Fantastic work by ARV - B relief and @MPSHarrow officers, completing fast time investigations on scene whilst dealing with the victim of a stabbing. They have managed to identify, locate AND arrest the suspect for this within a few hours of the initial call to police.

Five members of an organised crime group that smuggled 2.3 tonnes of cocaine in a shipment of bananas from south America have been convicted. Read the full story ➡️ https://t.co/R8BQ8iEDF8

The power of 'X' came to the forefront over the weekend, we received reports through the @MetCC account to reports of suspects fighting with knives. ARV's deployed and located a subject believed involved in the offence, arrest for Affray and possession of a weapon followed.

We're honorary lifeguards this week; Trojan units along with @MPSWestminster and the @TowerRNLI helped to recover a person that had ended up in the river Thames! Exemplary first aid exhibited before the experts @LAS_HART arrived #manyhats

Follow our page for more insight into what our department does as I locate the different strands and give you a look at what they do.