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Re: Is it time to arm our Police ?

Posted: Sat Nov 14, 2015 3:04 pm
by ZX Raziel
I need one too , the reason - "despatching mentally ill livestock"
;)

Re: Is it time to arm our Police ?

Posted: Sat Nov 14, 2015 3:21 pm
by Old Git Ray
Redmurty wrote:Ray how many times have you walked around with an empty weapon whilst in the military ? I know I have lots of times in the height of the "Troubles" I patrolled with a stave.
Yep, I remember those times all too well, but the last time I confronted terrorists, one stuck a gun in my face and pulled the trigger. I had an 18" wooden stick to defend myself with. He won - sort of. Oddly enough, today is the anniversary. (thumbs)
Redmurty wrote: What about rules of engagement for the police, how often are they going to the range to train, what do you do with the one's that refuse to carry arms ?

cheers Spud ;)
Oh YES, there are serious hurdles in arming the police. Not the least of which is that we all know some that should not be trusted with a tooth brush let alone a gun but these are difficult times. Fortunately most are OK guys despite what some might say.

We have incredibly good intelligence agencies but we have no way of dealing with suicidal fanatics.

As for the ones that refuse, that could be their choice but it could then become a requirement of recruits.

Re: Is it time to arm our Police ?

Posted: Sat Nov 14, 2015 3:26 pm
by Old Git Ray
SteveW wrote:
ZX Raziel wrote:How hard is it these days to get a handgun licence ?
Is it still possible ?
I thought it was impossible, but last year I was on a 3 day off road thing with a chap who was a game keeper.
He was licenced to carry a handgun for "Despatching injured livestock"
My best friend has the same license but he cannot take a gun to the theater.

Re: Is it time to arm our Police ?

Posted: Sat Nov 14, 2015 3:26 pm
by Redmurty
but if enough refused it would be pointless

and would it be "one day a year at the range" to qualify like self defence training ?

cheers Spud ;)

Re: Is it time to arm our Police ?

Posted: Sat Nov 14, 2015 4:03 pm
by TomBoyNI
Gedge wrote:Absolutely not....here is no proof that such action could prevent an attack and it ends up with every minor encounter resulting in guns being drawn and people being shot...

We need tighter security at high risk sites and a stop to the decimation of police numbers and resources ...no need for more guns....( terrorist will always find a weak spot...just have to make it harder for them to find..)
Coming from Northern Ireland, an area of the U.K. Where all police are armed I can say yes. Arm all police. Off duty and on duty. Taking here a real life uk example the police do not go round drawing weapons needlessly.

Every use of firearms is examined by a third party and scuntinised by many. Simple put we do not have Hollywood heroes running about but well trained officers who can initially reapond to many incidents types than their colleagues on the mainland would not be well enough equipped to deal with it.

Time to realise the baddies are armed so the good guys need to be too. The days of the Bobby armed only with a truncheon is outdated and dangerous.

Re: Is it time to arm our Police ?

Posted: Sat Nov 14, 2015 4:13 pm
by Old Git Ray
Redmurty wrote:but if enough refused it would be pointless
Fair point.
Redmurty wrote:... would it be "one day a year at the range" to qualify like self defence training ?
More than likely.

Re: Is it time to arm our Police ?

Posted: Sat Nov 14, 2015 4:21 pm
by SteveW
TomBoyNI wrote:
Gedge wrote:Absolutely not....here is no proof that such action could prevent an attack and it ends up with every minor encounter resulting in guns being drawn and people being shot...

We need tighter security at high risk sites and a stop to the decimation of police numbers and resources ...no need for more guns....( terrorist will always find a weak spot...just have to make it harder for them to find..)
Coming from Northern Ireland, an area of the U.K. Where all police are armed I can say yes. Arm all police. Off duty and on duty. Taking here a real life uk example the police do not go round drawing weapons needlessly.

Every use of firearms is examined by a third party and scuntinised by many. Simple put we do not have Hollywood heroes running about but well trained officers who can initially reapond to many incidents types than their colleagues on the mainland would not be well enough equipped to deal with it.

Time to realise the baddies are armed so the good guys need to be too. The days of the Bobby armed only with a truncheon is outdated and dangerous.
If the current situation in Northern Ireland continues to improve to a point where the security is no more heightened than Wales/Scotland/England I wonder if the police will give up their weapons?

Re: Is it time to arm our Police ?

Posted: Sat Nov 14, 2015 4:41 pm
by nuttynick
But the security state in the UK is at a high level! As for the armed French police nit saving the 127, maybe not, but they did save hundreds more who could've been slaughtered. Response times for armed officers in the UK are a joke, cut backs mean we are open to a threat such as this.
If you are being shot at, wouldn't you rather the police had a bit more than a stick and some spray to try to help you?

Re: Is it time to arm our Police ?

Posted: Sat Nov 14, 2015 4:52 pm
by scutty
Simply? No

Armed response units are fine but, tragic though these events are, I don't want IS to think they have changed our lives in any way.

Also, just look at the US gun/death stats and the number of people their police have shot - why would you want that here?

Re: Is it time to arm our Police ?

Posted: Sat Nov 14, 2015 5:02 pm
by AndyB
I can see your point but isn't there a risk of an off duty policeman pulling his gun and ending up being shot by either an another off duty officer or a uniformed one who doesn't know who it is holding the gun?

I'd be dead against it.