Gun laws..
Out of context: Reply #343
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- orrinward20
Some interesting parts from that article - Note the article is about 'Why British Police don't have guns', not 'How to prevent nutcases from killing people in a high school or cinema'.
"Arming the force would, say opponents, undermine the principle of policing by consent - the notion that the force owes its primary duty to the public, rather than to the state, as in other countries."
"While some in London were issued with revolvers prior to 1936, from that date only trained officers at the rank of sergeant or above were issued with guns, and even then only if they could demonstrate a good reason for requiring one."
"I was previously injured badly in an assault. My colleague and I feared for our lives - thankfully other officers came to our aid. I don't think a gun - or a Taser for that matter - would have helped us in that situation. Communication is one of the best tools, and to be honest, having a gun could make an officer feel over-confident." - Police Constable in the UK
"The public expects us to be armed - when they call in the cavalry that's exactly what they want. The general public, because of television, they believe that we're a lot better armed than we really are. You respond to a call and they say 'Where's your machine gun?'" - US Sheriff
The vast majority of UK Police officers don't want to be armed. Weapons intimidate people, escalate tense situations and aggravate the criminals they're intended to stop.