A little thought that just popped into my mind: In today's Britain, do you think arming all UK Police officers is a good idea?
Things to bear in mind when answering:
- Gun crime is on the rise.
- We already have armed response squads, though wether they could get there in time is an issue.
- Do we really need it? In certain areas gun crime is incredibly low.
- Pretty much the rest of the world have armed beat cops.
- Any additional info you may know.
Personally, I have mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, I can see where immediate armed response is necessary, and lives could be lost if the officer on scene is not armed, but on the other hand there's the potential for accidents, example: Officer aims at suspect, his weapon fires accidentally and kills an innocent.
But if I was the PM, and had to make the decision right there and then, I'd definately arm them and trust the police not to make those mistakes.
However, if given time to make up a plan, I'd give officers in high-gun crime areas guns, but not those in nice little villages where somebody throws a stone at a bird every few weeks.
You guys?
also, if this is in the wrong place, just lock it and I'll put it in politics instead, I couldn't decide wether it should go here or there.