Coming Face to Face With an Illegal Arms Dealer | ITV
I spent 4 months out with armed police forces in Birmingham, Newcastle and Sheffield. My role as a shooting PD was to establish myself within the armed teams and go out on shifts, fully geared up in a bullet proof vest with an FS7 kit. I was often shooting single cam on ashift with 2 armed cops in an ARV (armed response vehicle).
I'd rig the vehicle up with remote control powered Go Pros, LED lighting strips all attached to long life battery packs which needed to last an entire 12 hour shift. I recorded 2 x officers with 2 separate radio mics which were easy to attach to the police vests.
Throughout the filming period I filmed a lot of action including a hardstop and armed extraction on 2 suspects; a chase down of suspects carrying knives, and on another occasion a samurai sword; and planned raids on addresses were we found loaded firearms, substantial cash and drugs.
On top of the shift work I secured access to NABIS, the intelligence agency that matches up ceased arms with crimes as well as access to training with CTSFO units (Counter Terrorism Special Forces Officers).
We had limited filming days with Ross so it was imperative that I sought out the best officers to place on camera, got their trust (which was at an all time low because of other TV police shows playing down their roles), got them to communicate with me during filming - whilst still doing their incredibly demanding jobs.