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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-19635239Two unarmed female police officers have been killed in a gun and grenade attack in Greater Manchester, which led to the arrest of a wanted man.
Yes, it made our news.RIP colleagues.Over here they would have at least have been armed.I can't believe the UK still allows it police officers to go unarmed.
As predicted........
Quote from: db08 on September 19, 2012, 03:46:55Yes, it made our news.RIP colleagues.Over here they would have at least have been armed.I can't believe the UK still allows it police officers to go unarmed.The theory about policing in the UK is that it is best done with the consent and cooperation of the population. Officers are more likely to be able to do their job if they are accepted as "one of us" and accepted as there to look after us.As soon as they don body armour and carry guns - they become "one of them" - sent to rule over us. This invokes hostility and they can no longer rely on the willing cooperation of the subjugated population.I may not have explained that very well - but put it this way. I am more likely to cooperate with and help a law enforcement officer who I feel is just doing his legal duty to help people - rather that what I see as an armed thug sent to rule over me.,
Quote from: AlanHo on September 19, 2012, 08:26:48Quote from: db08 on September 19, 2012, 03:46:55Yes, it made our news.RIP colleagues.Over here they would have at least have been armed.I can't believe the UK still allows it police officers to go unarmed.The theory about policing in the UK is that it is best done with the consent and cooperation of the population. Officers are more likely to be able to do their job if they are accepted as "one of us" and accepted as there to look after us.As soon as they don body armour and carry guns - they become "one of them" - sent to rule over us. This invokes hostility and they can no longer rely on the willing cooperation of the subjugated population.I may not have explained that very well - but put it this way. I am more likely to cooperate with and help a law enforcement officer who I feel is just doing his legal duty to help people - rather that what I see as an armed thug sent to rule over me.,Thanks Alan. With all due respect, Britain needs to bring itself into the reality of the 21st century and each person needs to ask themselves whether they would be willing to do that job themselves, or send their own son or daughter in to do that job, unarmed.I am not talking about a (perceived) U.S. style "all guns blazing" approach, but a commonsense approach where law enforcement officers are protected and properly equipped to do their job.I think it is totally inexcusable to allow frontline police officers in Britain in today's world to face these thugs and low-life criminals whilst armed with an ever-so-deadly baton.It is just ludicrous.The days of the nice friendly English bobby belong in the sixties when we didn't have the ever-present threat of terrorist attacks, drug-affected lunatics and heavily armed criminals.In Australia, gernerally speaking, most people still have respect for police and do not view the police as armed thugs.
The theory about policing in the UK is that it is best done with the consent and cooperation of the population. Officers are more likely to be able to do their job if they are accepted as "one of us" and accepted as there to look after us.As soon as they don body armour and carry guns - they become "one of them" - sent to rule over us. This invokes hostility and they can no longer rely on the willing cooperation of the subjugated population.I may not have explained that very well - but put it this way. I am more likely to cooperate with and help a law enforcement officer who I feel is just doing his legal duty to help people - rather that what I see as an armed thug sent to rule over me.,
Sorry, have to agree with db08 on this one. Police don't go blindly shooting weapons here like the wild west, but in Melbourne, there have been incidents where shooting was the only option. There is always an enquiry into these incidents and to fire a weapon in public in any state triggers an inquiry and a tonne of paperwork. I for one feel safer with armed police available and it can certainly tone down aggressive people. With the possibility of terrorist activities, police need all the tools available to them IMO.
My neighbours are very elderly (approaching their 90's) and unfortunately he has been getting very forgetful recently. So much so that he left the keys of his car hanging in the door the other week which were taken by an opportunist passing by. He simply forgot where his key was believing he had misplaced it in the house and went off out using the spare. This was at lunchtime. Approx. 9pm that night his car was taken by the opportunist and thrashed to death along the beachfront in Aberdeen.The first he knew about it was when the police arrived at his door and when he looked over their shoulders realised his car was gone.As a question do you think it would have been suitable for two armed police to be standing on a pensioners doorstep and requesting entry to their house to discuss this particular matter with them? I can't decide, I wonder how I would feel for example if it was my parents as I am sure it would scare the sh1t out of them I completely see what you are saying, I just can't work out if the positives outweigh the negatives or vice-versa.I also have no doubt that at some point the matter will be decided and we will finally have armed police as standard and then the debate will be closed.