Armed Police

Nessie · 05-12-2003, 15:37

heard on the news that the Police on patrol in the centre of Birmingham are going to be armed over the festive period. What would you feel if Lancashire Police were to announce they were doing the same thing?

mick · 05-12-2003, 15:41

They have been armed in airports for a long time

Tealeaf · 05-12-2003, 15:49

I think the Birmingham police are acting in response to the drive by shooting of those two girls last year....although the drug problem is there in Accy, I don't think the gun culture is as yet.

It is unfortunate that cops have to be armed, but then again it is an overall indicment of our society that instead of opposing crime and every misdeminour, we openly tolerate and condone it at the less serious end of the scale. At the other end that results in guns being the norm for the hard criminal fraternity.

You'll soon get used to seeing cops with guns. It is sad, but it will happen.

adi · 05-12-2003, 15:53

Totally agree with Tealeaf on this one - unfortunately i think armed police will happen.

Id like to see more Policemen and Policewomen employed and walking/touring the streets - i find it pathetic that we have such a small number of officers employed both county and nationwide.

Tealeaf · 05-12-2003, 16:02

The problem is not so much the lack of numbers - although we certainly need more - it is rather their utilisation. I agree we need to see more boots on the ground and not whizing up & down in their cars after speeding motorists (After all, we got camera's for that).

What happens when a cop makes an arrest, even for a relatively minor offence? It's down to the station and fill in forms - piles & piles of 'em.....then the legal procedure begins...then it gets to court. What happens? the cop is sitting around all day while the lawyers (both sides funded by the taxpayer) argue points of law. (Anyone here who has done jury service will know what a shambles the English legal system is)

No, don't blame the police - blame the lawyers

mick · 05-12-2003, 16:18

i agree with you there tealeaf i have done jury service 6 times and the hanging around i had to do
i did it once in preston a lad had supposed to have knicked 1 can of lager from a off licence after getting a jury and all the lawyers it was thrown out of court for lack of evidence ,
but how did something like that get to a crown court all that cost

janet · 05-12-2003, 16:23

If armed police becomes the norm in this country, then we will end up more like America were the gun crime is very high. Which in turn will result in lots more deaths.

Tealeaf · 05-12-2003, 16:35

It's not the arming of police that is the problem - it's the gun culture and  toleration of a level of violence. If you look at Switzerland, every able-bodied man between 18-55 has to carry a military small-arm at home......yet what is their gun crime? Practically zero. Similarily with Israel - when you take the terrorists out the equation.

I can't think of many other countries that have unarmed cops as the norm, as we have; but we are no longer the country with the lowest level of firearm crime - far from it. Of all the western countries, however, we now have the highest level of non-gun violent crime and the highest level of crime against property...so maybe there is an argument for armed police, after all.

janet · 05-12-2003, 17:06

Maybe if we could get rid of the drug culture in this country then the crime rate would drop dramaticly. Maybe though that is another topic.

Mik Dickinson · 06-12-2003, 11:05

[quote author=Tealeaf link=board=general;num=1070642224;start=0#7 date=12/05/03 at 17:35:36]It's not the arming of police that is the problem - it's the gun culture and *toleration of a level of violence. If you look at Switzerland, every able-bodied man between 18-55 has to carry a military small-arm at home......yet what is their gun crime? Practically zero. Similarily with Israel - when you take the terrorists out the equation.

I can't think of many other countries that have unarmed cops as the norm, as we have; but we are no longer the country with the lowest level of firearm crime - far from it. Of all the western countries, however, we now have the highest level of non-gun violent crime and the highest level of crime against property...so maybe there is an argument for armed police, after all.[/quote]
Here here Tealeaf agree on all terms

adi · 08-12-2003, 11:22

Totally agree with your piece Tealeaf except for blaming the lawyers.

Yes they are at fault for some of the ridiculous cases we hear about but a lot of the blame must go the judges for dishing out such poor sentences.

A few of my mates are coppers and they tell me how fed up they get when they catch a criminal, do the mountains of paperwork only for the criminal to be given a suspended sentence or 40 hours community service.

Tealeaf · 08-12-2003, 12:31

I guess the answer is as follows:-

1) Arm the police

2) The police shoot the lawyers

3) Arrest the villains.

4) Try them in a peoples Court.

5) Reintroduce our most successful penal policy ever - Transportation.

6) End of Story.

janet · 08-12-2003, 16:00

Tealeaf has the right idea. [smiley=thumbsup.gif]