armed response unit

British

noun

(in Britain) a unit of police officers who are trained to use firearms in situations where unarmed police officers would be in danger

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The officers were ordered not to stop the gunman because an armed response unit was being despatched from Inverness, 100 miles away.

From BBC • Feb. 16, 2026

Gardaí, including an armed response unit, were called to the house shortly before 10:00 local time on Monday.

From BBC • Sep. 30, 2025

PC Daniel Cooper, part of the armed response unit from Merseyside Police, was the first officer on the scene.

From BBC • Mar. 10, 2023

A painting and decorating job ends with a visit from the armed response unit.

From The Guardian • May 5, 2020

Police Scotland said a total of 275 officers, members of the armed response unit, carry weapons when they are on shift.

From BBC • Aug. 5, 2014

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023