POLICE chiefs could have the option to routinely arm officers in rural areas, under new national plans.

This week, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for armed policing, Deputy Chief Constable Simon Chesterman, said chiefs were “committed to our model of policing with a routinely unarmed service at its core”, but “need to be sure we have the right level of armed policing to meet threats to the public”.

DCC Chesterman said: “We are continuing to review and discuss options with some forces with harder to reach rural communities, including arming of some response officers.

“Any change would decided by chief constables based on threat and risk and with wide consultation. Our analysis suggests this is not necessary now but it remains an option on the table.”

However, Rob Bowles, chair of the North Yorkshire Police Federation, said these plans would change the way the public viewed the force.

He said: “We pride ourselves on the fact we police by consent and we pride ourselves on the fact the difference of police constable is essentially a normal citizen, somebody who is there to engage with communities as opposed to setting themselves aside from communities by the routine carrying of firearms, for example.”

Police and Crime Commissioner Julia Mulligan also said she was not in favour of the plans.

She said: “We have a balance, I think, in North Yorkshire at the moment.

“I do not want to see officers in our rural communities routinely armed. That’s a complete change in policy, a complete fundamental change in the relationship the public would have with their local community police and I think that would not be right.”