Is it time to arm our Police ?

[misterlaffer]

Do we really face a greater threat now than from the IRA? They carried out out terrorist shootings and bombings on the mainland over a number of years, and they were pretty indescriminate, they were quite prepared to bomb a crowded bar on the off chance that there were a handful of off duty soldiers there. Yet there was no clamour for the mainland police to be armed, no calls for Belfast to be raised to the ground. People just carried on with their lives.
Maybe we felt less threatened because they were 'more like us, we could understand , even empathise with what they were trying to achieve even if we were appalled and disgusted by their methods, maybe it was because there was no social media to whip people up into a frenzy of hate and desire for revenge, or maybe 30 years ago there was less of a culture of 'why did they let this happen, someone must be to blame and somebody must do something'.
Getting back to the point there's no more need to arm the police now than there was then, or at any other time in recent history.

Just by chance I was in Birmingham the night of the Pub Bombings. I was 10 years old and on the way with my parents and brother visiting family friends who owned a pub in Digbeth. I can still remember seeing the army of pub blokes marching over to well known Irish pubs in an around the city to sort them out. There was a lot of suspicion and recrimination back then too for a long time. The Irish immigrant community paid a high price for the IRA's actions.

[Mawnanian]

Do we really face a greater threat now than from the IRA? They carried out out terrorist shootings and bombings on the mainland over a number of years, and they were pretty indescriminate, they were quite prepared to bomb a crowded bar on the off chance that there were a handful of off duty soldiers there. Yet there was no clamour for the mainland police to be armed, no calls for Belfast to be raised to the ground. People just carried on with their lives.
Maybe we felt less threatened because they were 'more like us, we could understand , even empathise with what they were trying to achieve even if we were appalled and disgusted by their methods, maybe it was because there was no social media to whip people up into a frenzy of hate and desire for revenge, or maybe 30 years ago there was less of a culture of 'why did they let this happen, someone must be to blame and somebody must do something'.
Getting back to the point there's no more need to arm the police now than there was then, or at any other time in recent history.

Just by chance I was in Birmingham the night of the Pub Bombings. I was 10 years old and on the way with my parents and brother visiting family friends who owned a pub in Digbeth. I can still remember seeing the army of pub blokes marching over to well known Irish pubs in an around the city to sort them out. There was a lot of suspicion and recrimination back then too for a long time. The Irish immigrant community paid a high price for the IRA's actions.

Indeed, I was living and working in S W London in the late 70's/early 80's. There were several Irish pubs in the area and things could get tense on a Friday night. Ironically there was also a large Muslim community, there was a mosque half a mile from where I lived but there was no friction at all with them, we were grateful for the late night corner shops and excellent curries.

[KtmRy]

This country needs to grow a back bone! Kicking known terrorists out would help along with the hate preachers plus all the scum that are involved with terrorists in any way shape or form instead of leaving them with it whilst still paying them and all their family endless benefits because of all this human right bullshit!

[moto al]

This is why I hate this type so called modern media, when it comes to contentus items ,people take it personally,and it looses control. As everyone and their dug has a view,the strange thing it usually happens when the clocks change. roll on Spring and ride our bikes. Cheers Al (thumbs) sit safe chaps

[Old Git Ray]

I'm very sorry to say this but.
I just don't trust the police to be honest nor competent enough for them to be armed.

The situation on the continent is very different with weapons readily available to the public. Just have a look in some of the windows of some of their sporting goods shops, I have seen a wide range of hand guns and automatic weapons. Apparently the French make a very good copy of the AK47.
The UK firearms laws may seem to be oppressive to some, but they do severely restrict the availability of weapons. We already have plenty of specialist and trained firearms units to deal with armed criminals as and when required. Putting more weapons on the streets, no matter who holds them, is just escalating the problem.

....... But having been messed about by a traffic copper last year I really have lost a lot of trust in the police. I suppose I should have put in a complaint at the time, but did not trust him to give a true and honest account. Especially after he had informed me that the traffic lights were at fault and that he had sat watching for some considerable time waiting for me to go through on the never changing red light.
Why did he not just walk over and do a bit of sensible traffic control?
Hence my lack of trust. It only takes one instance like this to put a big dent in your opinion of coppers. Sorry, but there it is.

Strange, when I was a cop I had a similar encounter with a dishonest civilian and now I do not trust any of them either. :whistle:

Fortunately I am joking but this goes to to show what a lame point of view this is.

Where do you think coppers are recruited from ? Mars ?

No, this may surprise you but the are recruited from the society you are part of.

I doubt there are many on this forum that have not had a bad encounter with the police at some time or another. Me included. I was a complete shit on a bike when I was younger and now, with the benefit hind sight, I realize that I got what I deserved, both in police attitude and court appearances.

Sorry, but your comments are frankly insulting.

[IainD]

Yes, we have all had good and bad experiences, however I cannot recall a time when the Police in general were so badly thought of. There have been far too many occurrences of corruption and ineptitude for our faith in their (holistic) honesty to be upheld.

The truth is that they are not the pillars of society that they should be.

Unfortunately it is more insulting to bury your head in the sand sand try and defend an organisation that has been described in recent years as Institutionally Racist, Corrupt and Wholly Ineffectual. Why not face up to the truth and try to sort them out. All we ask for is honesty, integrity and trying your best to do your job. Yes, there are always going to be rotten eggs, but don't just hide them under the carpet, throw them out before the whole basket goes off.

I was once stitched up on the old A74, when I was supposedly doing over 100mph. I was actually doing 75 on the clocks. I had no option than to plead guilty as I would have been crucified had plead not guilty. So big fine and points, and no doubt a laugh in the canteen... I found out later that they were known for it.

I got one back a few years later when I was pulled over by the shiny new traffic PC who thought my washers weren't working on the car; as he bent over to look at them I gave him a face full saying "If you just stand back I'll show you, Oh Sorry! His mate nearly fell over he was laughing so much.

Lets not miss the point of the OP, I say no, and not down to lack of trust in the Police, but because it is a bad thing for our society.

[AndyB]

This country needs to grow a back bone! Kicking known terrorists out would help along with the hate preachers plus all the scum that are involved with terrorists in any way shape or form instead of leaving them with it whilst still paying them and all their family endless benefits because of all this human right bullshit!

We shouldn't kick them out and make them someone elses problem, we should bang them up for life and remove them from society but how do you identify them?

You can't say everyone who goes to pray at a mosque is a terrorist any more than you can say everyone with ginger hair and a Belfast accent was a terrorist in the '70s & '80s so where do you start?

[threepot]

This country needs to grow a back bone! Kicking known terrorists out would help along with the hate preachers plus all the scum that are involved with terrorists in any way shape or form instead of leaving them with it whilst still paying them and all their family endless benefits because of all this human right bullshit!

And I bet the perpetrators of any future attacks will be known to the authorities.