Should all police carry guns?

Thought it might be interesting to see what peoples take on this is, especially as there are more than just a few org coppers.

Just been randomly reading about the UK police forces and their specialist units (as you do at 3.30am), and came across the Central Operation Specialist Firearms Command. It actually all makes interesting reading, but it got me thinking about why every copper in this country is not equipped with a standard issue firearm.

They do it in the States, and I've got no reason to see why each officer can't carry one here. I' would actually like to think that sometimes coppers need a bit more than a baton, for their own protection if anything where situations may start becoming a bit hairy. What's the deal, is it seen as giving criminals another potential source in trying to get their hands on some firearms? Or do they think that more people will just inevitably end up getting shot by the police?

yeh i never understood this either and thought it was pretty stupid.

here in australia all our cops carry guns...albeit i think many of our cops are dumbasses and it scares me to think that they carry firearms.

but so long as you have proper training, and continued training i don't see why your police over there shouldn't carry guns. i doubt there would be that many ppl trying to attack the police over there if they knew they carried guns.

[BanannaMan]

YES!!!!

and they should all Have Glock's.
Available in your preference of size and bore.

Make mine a Model 20
If you can't stop them with 16 armor piercing 10mm rounds....(standard police issue here)
Pop in another clip for 15 more.....and run away!
You are seriously out numbered!

I think criminals may come more prepared with their own guns if they knew the police had guns. Plenty of specialist armed response units seems a better idea, im not sure how it works now.

[timwilky]

No No no, never.

I used to shoot with instructors from Lancs, Merseyside and Greater Manchester and they knew their stuff. They used to tell me your average plod was a liability. If they are not to get the range time as part of their normal duties (at least weekly), they should not be allowed to carry.

no, because the specialist unit gets enough grief when they get it wrong, imagine that 25000 times over, taser's yea sure they are pretty effective at close range, and they shoudl be free issue that you can just fire at any chav type person...

I'd have to say no to that idea - I'd like to think that the average speeding ticket or bicycle theft doesn't require the option of lethal force. Despite what the press would like you to believe, gun and knife crime gives me the impression that it is a fairly infrequent event for officers to deal with.

Besides, I'm sure any of the people on here who've met our resident plumbers would agree that they shouldn't be trusted with a pipe wrench, never mind a firearm

[Tom_the_great]

IMO Yes if they get rid of 50% of the force an replace them with capable officers .... if we had a capable police force it would put alot of people off crime. but to go with that you need a senseable gov which dont sue everyone for everything so think theres a lot of work to be done...

[the_lone_wolf]

Dear god

You want to arm these people???

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkZC-2t7Ohw

[ethariel]

It's a nice idea to sonsider giving all serving police officers a firearm of one sort or another, however some coppers i know would really not be suited to carrying one...ever..., others would have no issue at all.

The problem with firearms in this country is that people do not have enough exposure to them and to most they are a shiny toy that does nothing but kill (it does not fire it's self).

Slowly introducing them to police in stages over many years may be an answer but imho, we have the TASER, not good enough to go up against a firearm wielding suspect really, but for virtually every other instance they win hands down. (and to all those liberals out there against tasers 'just incase he might have a heart condition and die', surely the occasional death by taser is better than 100 from firearms instead)

However if we do arm the police as standard, how ling till i's the *gulp* PCSO's and the street wardens and security guards that then start clammouting that they need to carry them too..... It would raise the stakes all round.