Mr. Moderator, You are a gentelman and scholar. I really thought that I was going to get some lashings or something, but instead I have gained respect for you.
Anyways, it is good to see that there are some positive thing happening in England. I am hopefull that in the next ATT meeting they will be standing by our side.
That is why I respect him. I still don't know why the police in England can't carry a gun?
Speaking of stupid, that takes the cake. In England, by law, the only ones walking around out on the streets with handguns are criminals. What single group of people are the police tasked with interacting with and dealing with? Criminals! To disarm those same police is in itself a fully criminal act with intent to cause grievious potential bodily harm or death.
Again, this is incorrect. While general patrol officers (the Bobby on the beat) do not carry firearms, in London (where I worked) there are routinely always at least 8 response cars with 3 man crews fully equipped with handguns, shotguns, rifles, and smgs. There are also 3 full SWAT teams available to be spun up, one on immediate notice, one on 30 minutes and one on a training cycle. In addition, Diplomatic Protection Group, The Special Escort Group, Royalty Protection, and Territorial Support Group all routinely arm their members. Other units (such as the one I served in) may or may not arm their officers depending on the type of work they are doing. For instance, Operation Trident - a unit that deals with black on black gun crime routinely has armed officers participate in their operations, warrants etc.
It is a myth perpetuated by the 'Brass' and politicians that the UK Copper is an avuncular jovial fellow that does his job with nothing more than a truncheon and his ready wit. In the 15 years I served (mostly in special squads and criminal investigation) nothing could have been further from the truth. We used exactly the same tools as cops in the US have done for years, and with just as much enthusiasm.
Now it's true to say that it's ridiculous that the poor old patrol officer has to go out without a firearm, but as you can see, that's not the whole story.
Incidentally, in my 15 years service, despite what politicians and the management would say, not once was I asked the question: 'Do you support the routine arming of patrol officers?'. Thus their constant harping on about how the 'rank and file' do not wish to be armed is a clear and obvious crock, since every copper I ever served with would have answered not only 'yes' but HELL, YES!"
