Armed police in the UK

[nevets]

In light of an unarmed and brave Policeman being killed in the UK yesterday, what does the forum think about arming police, even though when asked most police say no.

[DawnHRD]

If they say "no" who are we to argue? And I'm not making light of the issue. My little (6 ft!) sister is a policewoman in Yorkshire. Much as I love my sister, I still don't think British police should be armed in their everyday duties (special forces or ops, OK), especially when the majority of them don't think so, either.

[PeteC]

I think it all depends upon what they're up against. If the law can indeed control gun possession in the UK, then perhaps a good example of trust to everyone that the police do not carry.

On the other hand, an Officer carrying a weapon in full view is a powerful deterent to potential bad guys. Perhaps it would make them think very carefully before doing something?

American is beyond any reasoning like this, but I think the UK still has a chance. Pete

PS: First time I watched the movie "Lord of War" last night. Not exactly an example of what we're talking about here but easily could be. Guns are easy to get, just about everywhere worldwide.

[redzonerocker]

not sure if all police should be armed but i would say that in the not to distant future there will be more armed police on the streets of the uk.
the reasons being the increase in gun crime in general. there have been drive by shootings & teen gang warfare involving guns, not widespread as yet but it will no doubt escalate. there is the increasing threat of terrorism & the influx of foreign criminal gangs that are looking to control vice & drugs in uk cities.
i think the average policeman/woman wouldnt be happy with the pressure of being armed & the life or death decisions it would involve, which is why they are so against the idea.
maybe more specialist highly trained units are needed.
this would of course not stop isolated incidents like the one in shrewsbury or the two wpc's that were shot in the bradford robbery.

[STEVE G]

Whenever I go back to the UK for the odd weekend I stay in inner city Nottingham which has a bit of a problem with crime, and you constantly see police Volvo estate cars touring around with two guys wearing flak jackets and carrying Heckler sub-machine guns, so I would tend to say that the UK police are armed already!

[Mack111]

i think they should be armed, the criminals have got it easy in the UK.

The police in the UK in my thoughts are very brave and try to keep the peace, let them have guns and see if the criminals are so brave, also any time a policeman makes a mistake lets not pull him over the coals for his mistake, i sometimes wonder if out goverment is on our side or the criminals.

On top of the convisted crimnals from other countries should be auto deported with out appeal

[Big Boy]

Whenever I go back to the UK for the odd weekend I stay in inner city Nottingham which has a bit of a problem with crime, and you constantly see police Volvo estate cars touring around with two guys wearing flak jackets and carrying Heckler sub-machine guns, so I would tend to say that the UK police are armed already!

Steve, I think that area is the exception rather than the rule. Yes, there is a similar area in Bristol where Police carry these humongous guns, but 99% of the city never sees it. I would guess that its the same in Nottingham, and many other places in the UK.

In Bristol, the guns are carried because the local gangs are tooled up, and at war with each other - not a nice place to go.

Crime in the UK has not reached the extent where the other 99% of it's law officers need to carry guns.

[STEVE G]

BB, the police here in Luxembourg carry guns but I haven't a clue why; it's not exactly "Miami Vice" here. Their idea of crime is walking on the grass in the park or perhaps not asking for a reciept after lunch. The vast majority of the Luxembourg police force occupy their time by escorting Euro-nobs about on noisy motorbikes.The part that amuses me is that they stop at junctions and the large pannier on the back of their bikes is completely filled with a bizarre tall hat that they don to direct the traffic so they look like something from a Peter Sellers movie.

[caller]

The Police Officer killed was from an armed response unit according to reports, but the details in this case haven't been revealed yet. It appears a domestic incident and the killer shot the Police Officer, then himself. Apparantly, he was on a shed throwing stones at a house. Neighbours said he was into fishing and shooting. So he may have had a gun legitimatly?

This might not fall into the categories talked about above, but a tragedy nonetheless.

[Hervelon]

In light of an unarmed and brave Policeman being killed in the UK yesterday, what does the forum think about arming police, even though when asked most police say no.

Police should and must be armed..inevitable i am afraid..it is just the nature of the society we live in today....we are making it too easy on criminals and they know it....the police is not armed and if the criminal get to court....no incentive to commit the crime in the 1st place...no death penalties...and life dont mean life and on lesser crime you are out within months whilst should perhaps be locked up for years instead...

[Big Boy]

STEVE G wrote:

BB, the police here in Luxembourg carry guns but I haven't a clue why; it's not exactly "Miami Vice" here. Their idea of crime is walking on the grass in the park or perhaps not asking for a reciept after lunch.

I went to Luxembourg once to watch England play. It was the only time I've ever looked down the barrel of a loaded gun. The crime? No, not football hooliganism - jay walking! There were a group of us crossing the road, the little man was red, but there was no traffic in sight.

The little Hitler made us go back across the same road (which now had traffic on it), and wait for the Green man.

[Hervelon]

STEVE G wrote:

BB, the police here in Luxembourg carry guns but I haven't a clue why; it's not exactly "Miami Vice" here. Their idea of crime is walking on the grass in the park or perhaps not asking for a reciept after lunch.

I went to Luxembourg once to watch England play. It was the only time I've ever looked down the barrel of a loaded gun. The crime? No, not football hooliganism - jay walking! There were a group of us crossing the road, the little man was red, but there was no traffic in sight.

The little Hitler made us go back across the same road (which now had traffic on it), and wait for the Green man.

We cant be talking of the same luxembourg

[STEVE G]

BB, the locals get a bit scared whenever anyone mentions English football fans. They get up to all sorts of antics and are undisciplined pedestrians!

[Big Boy]

Hervelon wrote:

We cant be talking of the same luxembourg

I can assure you that we are. In fairness to the Luxembourg police, they were being run ragged by Chelsea supporters at the time. Most of those travelling Chelsea supporters were National Front, and hated anything not English. There was an awful lot of uneccessary disturbances going off everywhere.

What about me? - well I and a few mates found a quiet bar, and became aquainted with Henri Funk. I was feeling quite mellow at the time - just as well because I'd have probably had a panic attack looking down the barrel of a gun normally.

Anyway -

[Hervelon]

i can imagine the National front would have switch their interest to football rather than politics...they may have more impact there