Trigger Point acronyms guide: Terms and phrases in ITV drama

By Molly Moss

Published: Monday, 24 January 2022 at 12:00 am

ITV’s Trigger Point is finally upon us!

Written by Daniel Brierley and executive produced by Line of Duty’s Jed Mercurio, Trigger Point is the latest police procedural offering plenty of nail-biting scenes.

The drama takes a deep dive into Counter Terrorism Policing and revolves around a close-knit squad of EXPOS: police officers called upon to tackle bomb threats, led by Lana Washington (Vicky McClure) and her partner Joel Nutkins (Adrian Lester).

Episode 1 of the new drama certainly kept us on tenterhooks as a threat was called in from an apartment block.

But the bomb threats weren’t the only thing causing a stir amongst fans in Trigger Point, with some left baffled by the show’s complex acronyms.

The show has certainly introduced us to some unfamiliar jargon, with characters constantly mentioning Expos, CTSFOs and SO15, and many more terms.

It might seem like the stuff of TV fantasy – but with the creative team having researched scrupulously, we promise you: it’s real.

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Talking about the moments where the Expos, SO15 (counter terrorism), and CTSFO (counter-terrorism specialist firearms officers) lock horns in Trigger Point, Simon Harding, a former DCI in SO15 and now the director of Specialist Crime Consulting Group, confirmed to The Telegraph that, while some artistic license has of course been used to heighten drama, the scenes aren’t implausible.

“There is a relationship,” he said of the Expos and SO15. “Bomb disposal is almost part of SO15, but sits as a silo outside of it. Everyone has a job to do. There’s no room for egos with that kind of stuff. It’s a world-renowned slick operation.”

So, if you’re still in need of a bit of a refresh regarding some of the acronyms and terms used in ITV’s Trigger Point, check out the handy guide we’ve produced below.

In the meantime, if you’ve already begun watching, why not check out our Trigger Point review, or read more about the fate of Adrian Lester’s character in the series here.

Radio Times

Trigger Point acronyms guide: Terms and phrases in ITV drama

ITV’s Trigger Point acronyms