Originally Posted by
Mr_G_Box
I don't dispute the Cold War training the RAF did with the police before Police Air Ops units were common, but I took from your original post that RAF trained Police Observers for Police Units. I know it was looked at mid 90s-ish when, the Home Office Advisor at the time, arranged for a couple of Merseyside Police Observers to complete the ground elements of the QHI course with a view to Shawbury using excess aircraft/staff to train Police Observers but it didn't progress beyond that point. So yes, the RAF did train Bobbies to assist in mapping post strike info until the wall came down but I still think that they didn't train them for Police Air Ops units per se.
I have no desire to take part in a hair splitting contest, but of course, back in 1990 there were very few police ASUs. However, two of the policemen I helped train were instrumental in setting one up a few years later - by coincidence the same one I later flew for. One of them, a sergeant, was the deputy head and training officer.