Oppositionist Jeremy Corbyn refutes Prime Minister David Cameron's legal protection review for UK armed police, saying that 'any shoot-to-kill policy could be counter-productive'. Cameron ordered a review of police rights to shoot to kill to support first-responder officers in case of a Paris-style attack in Britain.
Following UK Prime Minister David Cameron's orders for an internal review to give armed officers more immunity from prosecution, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn opposed the proposal. Independent reported that Corbyn was slammed by his police officers after saying that 'any kind of shoot-to-kill policy could be counter-productive' in Britain.
He added in an interview with The Sunday Times that a shoot-to-kill policy would hurt public relations with police. "If you want the public as a whole to have confidence in the police force and confidence they can cooperate with them in the future, any shooting on the street diminishes that confidence," debated Corbyn.
Senior government sources said that Cameron is taking action in light of Paris-style terror threats in the UK. Police chiefs like Metropolitan Police Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe demanded more political and legal support for responders to boost their confidence. Sky News reported that the fight against terror attacks is under compromise because police are in danger of arrest when they open fire.
"Terrorist incidents both at home and abroad have shown very clearly the life and death decisions police officers have to make in split-second circumstances," a government source said. "We must make sure that when police take the ultimate decision to protect the safety of the public they do so with the full support of the law and the state - there can be no room for hesitation when lives are at risk."
Meanwhile, a report by PressTV said that Britain will be deploying armed US guards to increase security in UK airports. The guards will be responsible for immigration and customs checks on passengers before boarding. It was stated that the US Department of Homeland Security plans to enforce the security scheme in airports worldwide.
Cameron's order for a review attracts controversy after an incident where a police officer shot Jermaine Baker dead in an attempt to stop an alleged plan to free two prisoners in London. Metropolitan police had no evidence that Baker was involved in gang-related crime. The officer was suspended from duty and was later arrested.
