An armed response vehicle (ARV) [1] is a type of police car operated by police forces in the United Kingdom, Crown Dependencies, and British Overseas Territories. Typically crewed by 3 authorised firearms officers (AFOs), they respond to incidents believed to involve firearms or other high-risk situations. [ 2 ]

In 1991 following the shooting and stabbing of several police officers, the armed response vehicles (ARVs) were introduced, with their concept influenced by West Yorkshire Police's Instant Response Cars, as used in 1976.

Jan 7, 2024 · What does ARV mean? The term ARV stands for Armed Response Vehicle. These vehicles are used by police officers who are authorised to use firearms as a method of response in high-risk or dangerous situations. Armed response vehicles are modified and adapted to accommodate specialist equipment.

ARV in Police refers to an Armed Response Vehicle, which is a specialized vehicle used by law enforcement to respond to incidents that may involve firearms or other weapons, enhancing officer safety and public security. These vehicles are equipped with tactical gear and communication devices to support urgent operations.

ARV Officers respond to spontaneous firearms incidents. They typically carry out mobile patrols in vehicles such as the BMW X5, poised to deploy to an incident as needed. ARV AFOs will typically always have a self-loading pistol, such as the Glock 17, on their person.

Excluding the Police Service of Northern Ireland, police officers in the United Kingdom do not typically carry firearms. There are, however, a number of armed response vehicles (ARVs) in each police force area in which authorised firearms officers are carried.

Nov 24, 2022 · They are the armed units of police in the UK. But where do the different units differentiate in? CTSFO is of course the highest tier/special forces, and AFO is probably at the bottom (of armed response). And how common are units like these? Is there an ARV every 20 units for example?

Aug 14, 2024 · Every UK police force deploys Armed Response Vehicles (ARVs), on duty all day, every day, 365 days a year. They are the 24/7 armed response team, used to deal with the most serious and challenging incidents in a police area.

Jan 14, 2019 · For example, the Cleveland Division of Police’s ARV, Mother II, has a double skin of armor and is rated to stop .50 cal. ball ammunition. Older and retrofitted ARVs need to have a representative ballistic panel test fired to determine its ballistic capabilities.

Jan 31, 2008 · Most agencies got their first ARV when U.S. Military surplus armored cars—mostly Peacekeepers and some M113 APCs—were made available to police in the '80s and '90s, often for the cost of transport.