Should British police officers be armed?

Question

The UK seems to be in a minority of nations that does not arm its police officers with guns. Should they carry them?

Answer 1

Whether armed or not, there is no law in this Country and when hard-working law-abiding people are continually harassed by law-breakers with no satisfactory outcome, they will eventually have to take the law into their own hands to protect themselves and their families. The British system always favours the criminal, no matter what he or she does and it will evntually wear people down. I think the British Police now have a limited time to get their house in order. If they do not do so because they are still drowning in reams of paper and bureaucratic bullshit, the Government one day may receive a sharp reminder that they have left it all a little too late.

Answer 2

It does seem to be getting to the point where British police may have to start carrying side arms instead of them being locked in a safe in the back of a police car. Someone pointed out earlier that the 'English' police are unarmed...I think you forgot to mention Wales and Scotland. Most officers I know would tell you that they would rather hold out as long as possible before openly carrying guns. There is the notion that if they were armed, criminals may be even more inclined to use deadly force against the police. It's nice to see some good sensible, mature posts here on this subject, elsewhere on Answers, there do seem to be the usual police hating, no brain scum bags. Wonder who these people call when they're in danger?!! But yes, I do think that it's inevitable that our police will eventually have to be armed.

Answer 3

Yes without a doubt, sadly it is time to arm the UK police. I am not a gun nut but I justify my answer by adding the following;

1. The 2012 Olympics will make us a bigger terrorist target than we already are, every olypmpics ever held has attracted terrorists trying to get press notoriety.

2. The street criminals of the UK hold no value on human life, fatal stabbings and shootings are a daily event in parts of London and street robbers see guns as status symbols

3. The argument that gun crime will increase is flawed, when the Australian Police armed, yes there was a small increase in gun crime, but then criminals who pointed guns at police officers expecting them to back of got shot, then gun crime dropped !

4. I have worked in SE London for 8 years, I have been threatened by criminals with guns on 4 occasions, knives on more not counting hammers, pick axes, crow bars, petrol bombs etc etc.

The government are happy to stand behind the protection of armed police officers, however the police who go out on risk of life and limb every day to protect the elected powers dont have the same protection. The powers that be bury their heads in the sand and say there is no gun problem in England, ask any front line police officer and you will hear a different story !

Answer 4

At present a criminal can attempt to outrun a police officer to escape.
To escape an armed police officer a criminal would have to shoot them.
There was some American fool on tv last year who said "An armed society is a safe society" Presumably he hasn't noticed all the shootings that have gone on in his society.

Answer 5

Good Question
I would say some police not all i think there would be a few trigger happy cops out there no disrespect to most police i don't mean that in a bad way but you no a certain handful of cops would not be good with a gun they would believe they could shoot and then ask questions when it is to late as long as they get lots of training and a good eye i say yeah they should carry a gun
respect
shaz

Answer 6

OF COURSE!

Pity the poor police in England. The people those police have to capture usually are armed, so disarming police would be laughable if it were not so stunningly wrong.

Disarming police could only come from the boneheaded assumption that guns are only to harm others. This is absurd. Guns are used defensively ALL THE TIME, and to prevent police from protentially saving lives because they have their forefingers instead of guns is tragic.

Answer 7

Yes. We are an easy target for organised crime as they have more guns than the police do, and they're prepared to use them. How many innocent people need to get shot before the law changes? It's the "Human Rights" brigade who are the problem, as usual. Ironically thay can't see that by protecting criminals rights, they are infinging mine.

Answer 8

Yes. The streets are far from safe. People get attacked for no reason and police officers get shot and stabbed. Maybe guns would be a good deterrent to the modern yob culture.

Answer 9

I assume you are talking about uniformed police, as opposed to any of the special units. British police officers are not armed, however, uniformed police in Northern Ireland are.

Another case of confusing the United Kingdom, with Great Britain!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 10

It'd be interesting to hear what a real-life UK copper has to say about it-

Most of the coppers I know don't want to routinely carry guns.



To Ken Yad - doesn't sound like the reasonings of a serving policeman to me - unless you've only just signed-up. "gun pointing at them...". Not even the phraseology of the police.