Can any British police or people familiar with British law enforcement please help?

Question

Can you tell me, as far as is possible for security purposes, what MI5 (The Security Service) actually do? I am not interested in what it says on their website or on the TV but what MI5 actually do on a day-to-day basis; are most of them desk bound? Do they access to firearms or crime scenes in certain situations? Would calling them plain-clothes police officers, minus the power of arrest, be accurate?

We have to do a history project and I want to get under the skin of the glossy stuff they have on the website, but I fully understand the need for discretion at the same time.

Serious answers only please- thanks!

Answer 1

99% of their work is information gathering, either by watching or listening, some of this is eye to eye, alot of it remotely. There are desk people, who will coordinate the team of investigators and collate everything they discover.

You have the same powers of arrest as a policeman, the same as me and everyone else. SO there is no difference there.

It depends on if you looking at MI5 or 6 as to what their actual interests are, but the site tells you this.

Answer 2

In recent years since the end of the cold war they are working more with the police on anti terrorism matter.Intelligence gathering is a big part of their work.They cant be discrbed as police officers in any regard their remit is much more limited.By the way everyone has powers of arrest the police just have more.Yes of course they have access to firearms the people they deal with are likely to have them but they would in a lot of cases call upon the police or certain other services to assist if they were for instance expecting possible firearms incident.They do work closely with police special branch.

Answer 3

The police take a large form of flak, yet the place might we be without them? An anarchic utopia or a lawless hell-hollow? They undertake an oftentimes risky job for usual pay and yet supply up specific freedoms that something of society take with none attention - they can't strike, connect a commerce union, there are huge regulations on political pastime, they can't freely talk their artwork (regardless of close relatives), they can't protest, they are by no potential off-accountability, they are able to't come on a public talk board and answer questions like those etc. etc. The police and the militia are diverse companies and function thoroughly diverse collective psychologies. the united kingdom police rigidity is basically very delicate-touch, somewhat whilst positioned next to different eu forces and is evolving into greater of a provider than a rigidity. Politicians create the legislature, police to the daily artwork and the Judiciary bypass the judgement and cope with interpretation. Your questions are imprecise, yet i'm guessing which you're lumping all of it jointly as 'the police' - i might rephrase and be greater particular if I have been you.

Answer 4

They look for the tiny mouse footprints.
Make sure the mice do not runaway with the cheese in planet of apes.
So Tom can sleep in peace without Jerry raiding the refrigerator in planet of apes.

Answer 5

Its all tea party's and bun fights mate..what ever they seem to do a good job catching the bad guys.

Answer 6

i doubt many Brits have had any contact with them. i know in 46 years i never have or met anyone who has, i guess there undercover one works for internal security and one for overseas security, i can never remember which is which. i do know though that they were advertising for people

Answer 7

the simple answer is that they gather information/spy on groups or individuals who are INTERNAL threats to the UK