Should the British Police be armed?

Question

Yeah, arms do help! But the reality is, guns are in the UK. Why should the cops go to Bank robberies and only have a stick to protect themselves?

Answer 1

All Police should be armed to the teeth.

Answer 2

Why would the Police send a few coppers with sticks for protection to an armed robbery...i have never heard of the local bobby trying to stop a group of idiots with guns from robbing a bank! (unless it was to be a hero!!)
The police have something like 15% of the forces that are actually trained in weapons, and 10% that actually carry guns, but surely if the British police were all armed then so would the people committing the offences because it would be a case of who shoots who first!! I think by looking at the mess in America, where most people feel the need to be in possession of a weapon i.e a gun, it would be a huge mistake for us to follow suit!

Answer 3

They are armed! They just aren't routinely armed. That's not the same thing. They go to bank robberies with guns. They do. But I will be scared, and might even leave, the day they routinely arm our police with guns. Bean bags, baton rounds, even tasers- non-lethal ones I have nothing against. But armed police in the country have shot innocent people- they shot a man for carrying a table leg! Also, how does a gun stop the police being shot at? Answer, it doesn't. The only way that firearms would protect them, is if they handled it like the Greeks. A routine pull over for a brake light out over there means you have to crawl out of you car on hands and knees, at gunpoint. Every time. I don't want that at all. No guns means that they have to think things through. Guns on cops in America made me MORE scared to be there. If you arm the police, the criminals think they HAVE to have guns. You'll end up like in America where they shoot children (by accident AND on purpose), innocent bystanders, the wrong guy. Why would you want that in the UK? If the policeman has a gun, even if you are doing nothing wrong, he can shoot me. And you too.

Answer 4

I think the level of armed police in the UK is about right. There are far more officers trained in the use of arms than there have ever been, and they can easily be called on by other officers at a scene, so i don't think that all officers should be armed at all times. There are, of course, many instances where the police are armed all the time, airports for one and on security detail.

Answer 5

No,because British people,on the whole are probably the most incompetent race of people in the developed world.I'm pretty certain that since 'armed response units' were introduced into the British police force,they have shot and killed more innocent people than they have villains.Let them all carry arms and within no time at all they'll wipe out half the population of UK.

Answer 6

You need a 2nd Amendment like USA has. An armed society is a polite society. No banks would be robbed were the customers armed.

Answer 7

certainly NOT ALL police should be armed.looking at recent events those trained firearm officers still require better training if we are avoid repeat errors.far better to introduce stiffer penalties on villans who carry guns,and ensure that judges pass down the full penalty even if the weapon was never fired but was in the possesion of the person charged.

Answer 8

In some areas they certainly should be. The problem is, they will treat in the same way people who drive 5 mph over the limit and people who throw granite cubes at police cars. Power corrupts.

Answer 9

OMG now we're messing with the British.......They have done just fine for all these years.........just leave well enough alone. You know they are police so if they want guns, they know where to find them......besides don't we already have enough on our plate? We just don't need to be sticking our noses into the Queen's business!

Answer 10

To fight with the terrorists how can you leave the police unarmed. Otherwise you have to deploy Armed personnel which is a greater danger to democracy.