Poll: Arming the UK Police

[Jonny49]

Why not use taser technology instead? Non-lethal, yet still able to incapacitate a target from a distance.

Problem solved.

 

[GaryH]

Snip.

Absolutely. I think that we're on the same page after all.

I think that it's a massive shame that there is this worldwide hatred of america. Believe me when I say that I'm not one to buy into those stereotypes. While most of the stereotypes do have a grain of truth (and I've experienced a lot of them first hand) I'm not dense enough to believe that it applies to anything more than a tiny minority of americans. Thank you for your reply.

 

[Jegsimmons]

Firearms in the UK would be overkill with the restrictions placed on them. Tasers, batons, and shields.

Plus like in the video you can use overwhelming force.

and then what happens when another emergency happens and all the cops are busy else where? or what if he had an illegal firearm? its best to have cops trained and prepared in all scenarios.

 

[Jon Shannow]

Police are not armed? That's a disaster waiting to happen.

All it needs is some psycho with a garage and some metalworking skills. or with the right connections and there'd be a disaster.

Well it's been a disaster waiting to happen for near 200 years then

 

[Dogstile]

If the police can have guns, I should be able to.

...So, the police shouldn't have guns then?

Pretty much The only police who should are the armed response, who are the specialized squads for it. Typical police usually can't handle them correctly, and I say this with the least amount of malice possible.

 

[LCP]

Police are not armed? That's a disaster waiting to happen.

All it needs is some psycho with a garage and some metalworking skills. or with the right connections and there'd be a disaster.

Well it's been a disaster waiting to happen for near 200 years then

Hopefully for longer, but actions must be taken to prevent.

 

[Wieke]

This poll made me wonder about the police & firearms in the Netherlands. So I googled it and found that in the Netherlands the police do carry firearms (if they're trained). They also carry a pair of handcuffs, peperspray, baton and walkie-talkie. Use is heavily restricted as they are only allowed to draw the weapon when dealing with someone that could threaten them immediately with a firearm or with someone who's committed a crime worth 4 or more years.

Note that I voted for option 3. I think we should strive for a police force only armed with non-lethal weapons (except for specialist teams for exceptional circumstances). Though I'm not sure current non lethal methods are reliable enough.

 

[epikAXE]

With firearms comes the inevitable misuse of firearms. Loss of life should be avoided at all costs, especially to those in the police force, who keep us safe from machette wielding men like the OP video. So, they should be for protecting life, not ending it, if that makes sense?

 

[Spongebobdickpants]

I pick option A - Arm the police officers, legalise firearms

I'd like gun legalisation too, but I don't see that happening any time soon in the UK. Still, gun crime has been steadily tracking upwards at 34% per year since guns were completely abolished a few decades back in the UK. Perhaps soon a judge or a politician will be executed by a gunman and then they'll get a taste of what it's like to live in Peckham or Catford.

I can't condone empowering the state without empowering the people.

Then whats the point in guns? Instead of a mad guy swinging a machete at police it will be him shooting at them. Is that better?

I've heard and seen what america with that where everyone and they're mum has a gun and wouldnt like that here.

IMO give police guns with rubber bullets.

 

[willsham45]

NO GUNS as standard means no mistaken shootings by police. That does not really happen in the UK and i would like to keep it that way.

At the moment a rog bobby can only beat you up not stick lots of little holes in you.

When the shit hits the fran then the full body armour and guns can come out, but only after.

 

[DVS Storm]

Every Policeman or a woman carries a Glock 18 here in Finland and heavier firearms if needed. They rarely use them: once or twice in their career which is surprising. I think they should have firearms available because you never know when you might need it. And it gives a feeling of safety I guess.

 

[Rylingo]

The UK isn't america. There isn't any need to have common officers armed as civilians are in general, not armed.
The police are supposed to be keepers of the law. Not an armed militia who creates fear and alienates themselves from the common man. Gun should only be used by the police when necessary. In this case, it was necessary. One armed police officer would have done the job.

There should be at least one officer with firearms, on call in every region at any given time.

 

[demoman_chaos]

They need guns, simple as that. The presence of firearms alone is usually enough to defuse the situation, especially when the other guy doesn't have them. If you had a machete running around merry ol' England, and some fellow comes out of his house and points a shotgun at your face and tells you to drop your weapon, you'd be much more inclined to listen than if he just had what is basically a stick.

I mean, who else finds it idiotic that the weapon that firearms units are equipped with is a fricking MP5?!

I'd MUCH rather be using a Thompson than an MP5. If the bad guy has kevlar, the MP5 can't bring him down.

 

[El Danny]

There is absolutely NO reason for the average UK policeman to have a fire arm.

Knowing a guy that grew up in Brixton (one of the worst places for crime in London) even he agreed that police don't need firearms. His reasoning was that those that he knew that got their hands on illegal firearms agreed that "a gun is for nothing more then protecting you and your stash" and that the gangs actually beat the crap out of people that were found with guns on the street.

I can't think of a single human I'd trust with a gun, every few weeks we hear about some American cop that shot a clearly innocent guy because he had a bad case of itchy trigger finger.

While I voted option three, even though the current armed officers are used more often then needed. One friend got dawn raided for 1.8 grams of pot. They even sent the armed response(with trained dogs) to arrest a bunch of chavs gate crashing a party I was at. While that was incredibly funny it was a complete waist of time and resources and could've been done with 2 or more normal officers.

Lets not waist more money on something that shouldn't be there in the first place.

I should probably point out I live near Cambridge.

 

[Zing]

Wow UK police don't get guns? That is insane. I'm not particularly crazy about guns but police should have them.

 

[^=ash=^]

They should be armed (after training of course). Our police force is currently a joke, as seen in the video.

xxx

 

[erztez]

Hmm...was bored, so I checked my own laws on the matter.
Shockingly enough, while I know you need a license to carry a concealed firearm in the US, you CAN'T to carry one OPENLY here...Concealed carry is the standard.
Weird, huh?
Of course, you need a license to even buy a gun, and they take the papers away for pretty much any violation, like a DUI.

Seriously, read this.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_politics_in_the_Czech_Republic

Hell, some of it sounds more lenient than the US.
And yet we have about as much gun crime as the UK.
Again, WEIRD.

EDIT: Would've linked straight to the pertinent laws, but google translate does very weird things to czech

EDIT2: Also, tazers are illegal...WTF?

 

[Westerschwelle]

Police are not armed? That's a disaster waiting to happen.

All it needs is some psycho with a garage and some metalworking skills. or with the right connections and there'd be a disaster.

I remember the Killdozer :-D