Should uk police carry guns?

[chell5544]

After hearing the news that two police women have been shot dead in greater Manchester should our police carry guns?

Personally with gun crime on the up I believe our police should be carrying guns
Like many other countries do

The story is so sad it sounds like the man set up and planned to kill two offices he had also killed two men by a gun and a grenade attack on a separate occasion and was wanted by the police

 

[Jaylynne]

Um yes police officers should carry guns. It's for their own protection. Do they really not carry? It's like the old saying of bringing a knife to a gun fight, they have no chance.

 

[robinator]

I wonder what the logic is behind them not carrying guns......?

 

[chell5544]

Um yes police officers should carry guns. It's for their own protection. Do they really not carry? It's like the old saying of bringing a knife to a gun fight, they have no chance.

Nope we have special forces team which do carry guns but will only be requested once there is a suspect known to have a weapon
Out frontline police only carry a baton and pepper spray

 

[special_kala]

Gun crime is nowhere near a problem over here like it is say in the UK.

We have very strict laws on them. If the police had them i think it would mean more criminals would seek them out.

 

[Jaylynne]

That still seems insane to me. You never know what violence criminals resort to when backed into a corner.

 

[special_kala]

but if the police were armed then more criminals would feel the need to be armed.

 

[Jaylynne]

Well obviously they were armed when they shot 2 unarmed policewomen.

Police should always be prepared. They shouldn't have to call and wait for backup in an intense situation with lives at risk because of a (IMO irrational) fear of the potential more guns situation.

I had a license to carry concealed and it's quite common for people to own guns in my state. It's healthy to have a proper understanding and respect of guns. I grew up with them. I dated cops and military who were quite comfortable so I guess I live at the other extreme.

Guns aren't in of themselves evil, it's the stupidity and inexperience of those who handle them incorrectly.

 

[Jaylynne]

Um yes police officers should carry guns. It's for their own protection. Do they really not carry? It's like the old saying of bringing a knife to a gun fight, they have no chance.

Nope we have special forces team which do carry guns but will only be requested once there is a suspect known to have a weapon
Out frontline police only carry a baton and pepper spray

Baton and pepper spray is an underpaid security guard...

 

[special_kala]

60% of total homicides are fire arm related in the US compared to 6.6 in the UK, i dont think that the fear of guns becoming more common here resulting in more gun crime overall is irrational at all

 

[Jaylynne]

The uk is also one of the top if not the top for violent crime topping even south Africa. Uk had over 2,000 violent crimes per 100,000 capita vs the US's 466. Granted it's definitely not the same as a murder, but if you take away a gun, criminals will just use another method.

Switzerland also has rather lenient gun control and their murder rates are low as well- much closer to the uk rates. Most of the us murders are highly concentrated to poorer sections and mostly gang and drug related. All most all done with illegal guns.

Just seems like good policy to have the cops better prepared.

 

[Fergie]

No our coppers shouldn't carry guns. I feel a damn site safer knowing they don't than i would if they were.

 

[Lina]

It could have very easily happened with an armed officer as does happen. The call was relating a burglary and the scene appeared normal. Do american cops come pointing their guns at every situation they are called?

 

[pinkpolkadot]

Instead of arming up police which will inevitably increase the number of criminals who feel the need to posses a gun and escalate gun crime, we should be working harder to get rid of guns.

This is obviously an extremely sad incident and I do feel by arming police it would lead to such deaths becoming even more commonplace.

I am not even sure guns would have helped in this instance, would they have gone in to check out a reported burglary with guns at the ready?

 

[special_kala]

The uk is also one of the top if not the top for violent crime topping even south Africa. Uk had over 2,000 violent crimes per 100,000 capita vs the US's 466. Granted it's definitely not the same as a murder, but if you take away a gun, criminals will just use another method.

Switzerland also has rather lenient gun control and their murder rates are low as well- much closer to the uk rates. Most of the us murders are highly concentrated to poorer sections and mostly gang and drug related. All most all done with illegal guns.

Just seems like good policy to have the cops better prepared.

Our police dont need to be prepared (on a whole) against guns though.

 

[pinkpolkadot]

The uk is also one of the top if not the top for violent crime topping even south Africa. Uk had over 2,000 violent crimes per 100,000 capita vs the US's 466. Granted it's definitely not the same as a murder, but if you take away a gun, criminals will just use another method.

I am quite happy to be take away the gun and be left with the 'other methods', firing a gun is far easier and more deadly.

 

[blondey]

As I work in the criminal justice system I would like to say I would trust all the officers out there with a gun, but to be honest, working closely with them, there are some I wouldn't trust to tie my shoe laces, let alone let lose with a gun. Although don't get me wrong there are some officers on the other end of the spectrum who I would trust implicitly (my husband, BIL and SIL to name but a few!!)

However, I don't think arming police would necessarily be the answer. It's all to easy to say police should have guns after events like today. But people don't often think of the mess it could cause. I mean look at the Mark Duggan case. But today's horrid event was premeditated and even with guns, I don't think the officers would have stood a chance. Similarly the officer in Essex, who was part of my professional family, who was shot while off duty, it would not have made a difference if police were armed.

Police in this country are unfortunately not a well liked group, especially after the spin the recent government have been putting on things. And I think arming them would only make them less liked and less approachable to the general public.

 

[Andypanda6570]

WOW, I am just amazed I never knew the police in the UK didn't carry guns. I learn something new every day. It is the norm in the US for our police to carry guns, I don't know any different. Just cause it is ournorm I am not saying in the UK they should or shouldn't, I really don't know what i think, I am just still amazed at the moment

 

[Jaylynne]

This is probably something that the different countries won't agree on. For us, it's completely normal. "If you outlaw guns, the outlaws are the only ones having them". But I do see your side too. I'm just shocked. Never would have guessed a cop didn't have anything other than a stick and a spray.

 

[PinkEmily]

My OH is a response officer for Greater Manchester Police, he is stationed not far from where these poor police officers where killed. He doesn't think that police officers should carry guns.
IMO i don't think they should either, i personally think it would have the opposite effect and increase gun crime.

Lets face it though, the Government would never allow it anyway because it would cost too much money to train officers up to handle firearms.