Poll: Should UK police be given guns as standard issue?

[hammiemonster]

I think maybe the point of this question is to say, the general population are taking the piss out of the police and would they take the police seriously if the police could actually do anything.
Yes British police have a bad track record but I personally think if trained well enough they won't abuse they're new given power, if given guns.

 

[Kinguendo]

One of reasons why the riots started was due to the police shooting someone in the head.More guns would make this even worse

Please remember that the officer only returned fire. He was just a better shot than the punk with the gun.

OT: Nope, get out the water cannons or something but we do not need more guns.

Yeah, no. The bullet the police claimed was from the man they killed was actually police issue.

 

[Soxafloppin]

What? I live in Northern Ireland (Part of the U.K) and all our officers have handguns as standard issue?

Strange.

 

[Hugga_Bear]

No. I wish OP had included a separate yes/no for UK residents and one for americans and another for others. But then I'm nosy

I think tasers are something to look into, certainly. I admit to knowing little except they're generally held as controversial in impartial studies but I've never really studied the results myself. Guns? No. See, we have forces to deploy who are armed and they're always ready to do so when needs be.
Now in this riot if the police went in with guns we'd be seeing people killed. You know what happens next? Sympathy for the looters, the people would side with them, anger would be shown to the police and everything would escalate to an even worse degree. You do not stop a riot by shooting people, that's been clear throughout history and is especially obvious today with numerate examples of such treatment in other countries resulting in small riots and protests turning into full fledged war. It just doesn't work, people don't react the way they're expected to (fear).

Anyway, there's a general lack of access to guns in the UK, the police have little to no need of them in most cases and when they do it's always been when there's been time to get those with the requisite training and equipment to the fore. Guns don't stop riots, they invite bloodshed. Furthermore if we give police guns we increase the still relatively low circulation of weaponry available to those who want them. Then we enter into the shitfest America has (no offence guys) where everyone's armed because everyone else is. Doesn't take long for that to go south.

 

[Duskwaith]

They are too afraid to step up and actually do their jobs during the riots. They sit back and just watch doing the occasional baton charge that doesnt really do anything except push people back abit only for them to walk back up. No rubber bullets fired etc.

They could easilly beat up a few students in November but they dont seem too hot now they are up against a turbulent and violent force.

Was weird seeing a police armoured landrover looking so clean and shiny. Im use to seeing them burnt out or at the very least battered to high hell.

Not to mention the mainland UK has no water cannon due to all 6 of them being stationed here(Northern Ireland)

 

[Kadoodle]

I say yes. And I'm gonna give the same argument that I'd give for any other gun control debate:

You can take away the police's guns, but you can't take away the criminals' guns.

An armed police force is a necessary evil.

 

[Sir Galahad]

At the risk of sounding as if I'm on a pedestal: Giving guns to the police won't prevent, or even deter crime. Well maybe casual hooliganism, but not the kind of stuff that a guy might need a gun for.

The greatest effect of arming the police force would be escalating the conflict. We give the police pistols, the criminals smuggle in AKs, we then have to upgrade our weaponization, so we give them SA80s and so on and so forth. It's a war, fought on a small scale, and it won't be won on battleground, it probably won't be won, except morally, through due process. We can't sink to their level.

Aside from that, people treat guns so casually these days, killing anything for any reason is a brutal thing to do, (that said, I do love beef...) and as soon as a police officer becomes hardened to pulling a trigger, the more frequently he or she will do it. Then well, more riots.

I read your edits about using guns on rioters and I agree that that would be an excellent compromise, but in the mop of a riot, to stop looters etc, well what's to stop a police officer and his 9mm?

 

[The Reverend]

A bad idea. It could esca;ate really quickly. Police get guns. Criminals get guns. Police get bigger guns and body armour. Criminals get bigger guns and AP rounds. Chaos ensues.
Sure, this isnt really the case in America, but in Britain the culture is inherently different. People shit broken glass over here when someone is killed in a police shootout (as the recent riots show) and with both sides armed, these riots are more likely to happen.
I guess the use of firearms is engrained in the public conciencness in America, whereas over here it isn't. It would have to be a slow process if they did issue them over here.

 

[Delta2501]

At time of writing I see 65% against the proposition. Thank you, escapists, for rekindling my faith in humanity.

Apart from the whole arms race concern there is the fact that police require cooperation, and police being unarmed can reassure and act against attempts to characterise them as fascist oppressors. It might also help avoid the most extreme cases where excessive police brutality cause scandal and seriously damage public trust in the police services.

 

[IKWerewolf]

OK this is an awkward question and it comes from the UK riots and what to do now that the chaos has started.

I looked at my friends, nearly every one of my friends has suggested the army and kill the b******(sorry about it but quoting people).

LETHAL FORCE IS WHAT STARTED THESE RIOTS and would only create more problems, more funerals so more hot zones for riots to start. However unless the Police are seen to be given their strength back the riots will continue.

Precision is the key, if they hit and take out the ring leaders knocking out the co-ordination and taking out the threats such as this Team Poison group who have threatened the Service providers of Blackberry with handing data to the MOB of their employees MAKING THEM TARGETS.

Although I do feel sorry for what's coming towards the rioters and sympathisers. From what I've seen, the country as a whole has had enough of Anarchy reigning. And I think if rioters and looters are arrested and beaten up I don't think there will be much sympathy from the press.

"Oh so you were beaten up, well let's see you torched Tesco, burned ten family businesses and beat up seven women, sorry no sympathy and oh yeah plead guilty; that mob with flaming torches won't wait outside for long and that Police officer has a set of knuckle dusters and has first pick on which limb gets broken first!" (Worryingly I can actually imagine Yahtzee saying this)

The power to arrest the parents of the child rioters and hold them responsibile as Accessory wouldn't go amiss either MAYBE MAKE THEM THINK ON WHERE YOUR CHILDREN ARE.

There's a lot more behind riots according to some people other than want and destruction, according to some sources, this was seen coming by some members of the community as the so called regeneration for 2012 didn't reach these youths and the Youth opinion of the Police in that area as an enemy to kill and anarchists are fueling the flame. There are a lot of failures and GIVING GUNS TO THE POLICE WOULD BE THE SINGLE BIGGEST MISTAKE SINCE ALLOWING THE CRAZY FROG TO RELEASE A SINGLE.

 

[Hawkmoon269]

Arming the police would make the whole thing ten times worse. If the police have guns, criminals have guns. If criminals have guns, citizens have guns. Guns are a terrible deterrent, because they can do one thing; kill, they aren't particularly good for self defence.

As bad as the riots are, we're far, far, far better off being a country with low gun ownership.

Think how many would have died by gun fire in the riots if London was a place where most people owned a fire arm. It would be terrible.

Thus far, I believe only one person has died. That was from a gun shot, but it wasn't even to do with the riots, it was a separate dispute between two groups.

 

[IKWerewolf]

And I'm as surprised that a majority is saying no to guns in the UK.

 

[Jodah]

Standard issue? Not so much. More available in emergency situations? Absolutely. Train the regular officers with them, and make them available for certain emergencies. England is so used to not having them now, however, that introducing them 100% would be a bad idea.

NOTE: This does not mean I will ever support taking the guns away from American or other police forces that regularly carry them.

 

[nicksdrago0]

And I'm as surprised that a majority is saying no to guns in the UK.

Because people over here realize it works.

Sure guns help stop crimes. But we have so little gun related crimes, its actually country wide news. Now correct me if im wrong, but theres a lot more gun crimes across the pond. a LOT more.

 

[mrwoo6]

What? I live in Northern Ireland (Part of the U.K) and all our officers have handguns as standard issue?

Strange.

That's understandable due to the whole troubles thing. Things can get a bit shitty fast here.

 

[UltraDeth]

Can I make a suggestion? Always use rubber bullets

 

[Navvan]

As an American I say no as well. From my understanding you have a special division that is armed and designated to handle situations that may actually require the use of a weapon. Having that specialization is a good thing. It prevents over-reaction and abuse which are two things that detract from the integrity of the police force.

I only wish we could do the same in America, but atlas since guns are so common here it would not be practical.