Morris
I have no wish to misquote you, so here is a verbatim quote:
I can be working with firearms officers, or guiding a dog handler to likely hiding places. Frequently I formulate search parameters for missing people and advise senior officers on viability of searches.
I've done pretty much all of those jobs as a police officer on the ground before I went to ASU. My colleagues on the ground know this and (most if the time) trust my judgement.
You stated that your colleagues trust your judgement because you had fulfilled most of those roles prior to joining the ASU.
Therefore, how am I misquoting if I ask whether you'd like someone to have carried out those roles before applying to join an ASU?
Now you say, to directly quote you:
iff we're creating prerequisites the ONLY one I'd say is that applicants should have served a reasonable time as a uniformed Officer on general patrol duties.
How much time is now reasonable? Does that also now mean that you don't think an officer should have necessarily worked with firearms officers, or guiding a dog handler to likely hiding places, formulating search parameters for missing people and advising senior officers on viability of searches?
If that's the case why would anyone trust their judgement?