do you think that the whole UK police force should be armed instead of just having CO19 and the Flying squad( the metropolitans Armed detectives)
2007-12-21 09:03:19 · 27 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Law Enforcement & Police
The more guns the police have - the more they'll use them.
It's inevitable.
Unfortunately, they shoot the wrong person now and then. This would also increase.
A lot of people have the wrong idea about shooting criminals to disarm them. You shoot at the largest part on a moving target - that's the torso - which contains the largest arteries and the heart.
Fact: ANY wound from a firearm causes terrific life-threatening trauma to the person shot. In the UK punishment is given after a fair trial, NOT before.
2007-12-21 09:21:08 · answer #1 · answered by Francis Hannaway 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
No. The police themselves do not want to be armed. There are many historic reasons for this and arming the police will change forever the relationship between the public [the pay masters] and the police.
The relationship between public and police here in UK is excellent.
Here in UK we have policing by consent.
If the Bobby on the beat here in UK were to be armed, then I feel something would have been lost and lost forever.
No to arming the police on the beat.
I have a photograph c1850, downloaded from the Internet, of a Bow Street Runner, a Peeler an ordinary London Copper. He is wearing a smart uniform [black] with silver buttons in a single row down the front of his tunic. He is wearing a top hat [probably made of iron with a cloth covering]. He is also wearing white gloves. He has no truncheon or any other weapon of defence that I can see.
2007-12-21 21:29:07 · answer #2 · answered by Dragoner 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think the UK police should carry side arms all the time. Even a new recruit should be issued with a sidearm. The site of carrying a sidearm will definitely keep the crime rate low. UK police force is the only force I know that doesn't have this facility.
Think ; If you are a criminal and you can see a cop with a gun, you will think twice about committing a crime. I totally support the police in this issue.
2007-12-21 19:13:49 · answer #3 · answered by Ali K 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Not all Police Officers would want to be armed with a firearm, plus the training is intensive. What I think all Police Officers should have though is adequate personal protection, better stab/bullet proof clothing, and "danger money" for those officers out on the street (as opposed to office-based), and for those flying in the Police Helicopters - much more dangerous and a lot less exciting than people think.
2007-12-21 22:07:45 · answer #4 · answered by spanner the stig 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
no way, that's just asking for trouble, the police are not trained to a high enough standard in my opinion they do not spend long enough on the ranges you need to fire thousands and thousands of rounds to be a competent firearms officer something they do not have the budget for, there have been dozens of incidents were the UK police have shot unarmed Innocent people and not one officer has ever stood trail, and the excuse is always the same "what if" he had a bomb or "what if" he had a firearm well that's not good enough you cant shoot people because of a "what if", and the more coppers who are armed the more Innocent civies are going to get shot, we will all become walking targets
2007-12-22 10:09:50 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would not want all police armed and I do not think many UK police want it either. Armed response teams yes.
The Police are looking more and more like a paramilitary occupation force rather than a civilian organisation. i know the reasons but think it is the cause of some distrust
2007-12-21 09:49:21 · answer #6 · answered by Scouse 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
YES
In fact, I think guns should be legalised (with licences, of course). At the moment it's really difficult to get a gun licence and you can't carry a weapon. This is ruddy rediculous - innocent citizens can't protect themselves, and only the mad, bad and dangerous one's can get hold of lethal weapons. Something a bit wrong about that, isn't there?
In fact I was reading an article the other day about studies conducted in America, pertaining to the legalisation of guns there. They found that crime dropped significantly, because criminals were scared in case a citizen had a gun. They also noted that less than 1% of guns issued were ever used in the commission of a crime - far lower than at the moment, where technically every gun owned by anyone without a licence is used in a crime, because it's illegal to even own one.
This country is headed in the wrong direction.
2007-12-22 15:27:02 · answer #7 · answered by Pebbles 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Nope. And a large portion of the Police Federation agree with me.
It was put to them at their last general meeting that all officers should be armed, and they rejected it by a large majority. That is a vote by serving officers and if they don't want it, that should tell the general public enough.
2007-12-22 08:29:52 · answer #8 · answered by Beastie 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, I think all Uk police response teams should be issued with the Taser. Also the size of current armed response teams should be doubled, and the red tape cut, when trying to deploy them.
2007-12-21 10:16:53 · answer #9 · answered by carswoody 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
All of the a** holes in society have guns so why shouldn't the good guys have the same advantage? at the end of the day more should be done to stop these idiots from walking the streets and we should be throwing them in prison, Then the police wouldn't need weapons.
2007-12-21 09:13:04 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋