Firearms Discharged

A) I am after full details of incidents where firearms were discharged since January 1 2007 to present (March 15, 2010). Please exclude all rounds fired within police training sessions and taser usage.
I am after all operational discharges, all negligent discharges and any other occasions when a firearm has been used. I want information about baton rounds, bullets, plastic bullets and any other guns used.
Within this please include:
1) The date when the incident happened
2) Where it happened (eg High Street, X town or at X town police
station locker room)
3) How many bullets were discharged in total and by how many officers
4) The reasons why the weapon was used (eg man with gun threatening to shoot public, negligent discharge etc)
5) The type of firearm
6) How many people were injured (if any) and what were the nature of the injuries suffered?
7) What damage was caused to property (if any) and what was the val ue of the damage caused?
8) Please also include the gender and rank of all officers who discharged weapons.
B)
1) Separately, how many officers within the force are trained to use firearms?
2) How many had this training on January 1, 2007?
3) Are there plans to train up further officers? If so, how many?

In accordance with section 1(1) (b) of the Act our response is provided below;

Please Note: In relation to all of your questions within the periods specified officers in Cheshire have not had to discharge a firearm during any incident involving a human being. All discharges have been in relation to animal incidents.

Records for 2007 & 2008 maintained by the firearms unit were primarily paper based and are no longer available in many respects. The incident data on the command and control system would if searched take this request beyond the FOI cost limits. We have therefore restricted our answer to that which is readily available.

2007 There were 18 rounds used to dispatch 11 animals.

2008 There were 7 rounds used to dispatch 4 animals.

2009. 2010

Question 1. Dates 30/05/2009, 31/01/2010, 22/06/2009, 28/02/2010, 15/06/2009, 06/11/2009

Question 2. Mobberley, Warrington, Warrington, Whitegate, Sutton Weaver, M6

Question 3. 11 rounds 5 rounds

Question 4. Dispatch of 4 animals Dispatch of 2 animals

Question 5. Shotgun Shotgun / handgun

Question 6. None None

Question 7. None None

Question 8. Male & female PC Male PC

Part B

Question 1.93 officers are trained & authorised police firearms officers. (Note there will be many more trained to use firearms from previous occupations, military for example.)

Question 2. 90

Question 3. No recorded information held.