Interesting article. I am very skeptical that arming the bobbies across the country would improve the firearms related crime and mortality rates.

nt

Hard to argue with success.

rates in the USA are 4 times higher.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_intentional_homicide_rate#By_country

According to stats compiled by the UN and the European Commission in 2009 (most recent I could find), the UK's rate of violent crime is actually one of the world's worst. It's the most violent in the EU (by a fair stretch), worse than South Africa, and a LOT worse than the US. In their favor, those violent crimes are not terribly likely to be homicide (13th in the EU) but assaults are frankly rampant.

you would think that's worth something.

besides, who said providing guns will lower the violent crime rate?

was allowed to have a firearm behind the bar. I occasionally found myself dealing with drunks who were dangerous and threatening. Yet, I felt a gun would only acerbate a potentially volatile situation.

When i was in London in 2007, I was walking back from a long day at my internship to my Lodging at the International Students House. Being that it was a hot day, I stopped by a little convieninces store on Albany Road run by a very nice Arab family to pick up a cold Irn Bru, a pot noodle or my supper and an ice cream. As i was in the line to pay for my purchases, in walked two London police officers toting Heckler and Kock MP-5 submachine guns. At first I was freaked out, thinking they were going to raid the place, but it soon became apparent they were there for the same reason I was. To pick up a snack and a soda. I later found out that those particular officers were part of a detail tasked with rapidly responding to firearms incidents, protecting ambassadors and other VIPS, and counterterrortism. Apparently for some reason these officers cannot keep their SMGs locked in the car whilst they are on duty for some reason.

However, I found my other interactions with the police (asking for directions, and telling an officer about a drunk guy I saw passed out in an alley) were pleasant, professional and positive.

The Delicate Flowers (Tom Tomorrow's term for gun-nuts) here in the USA face all kinds of unimaginable dangers that they don't have in England. That's why they're so scared of walking outside without a gun on them. You never know if the 80 year old retiree across the street will yell at you, and you'll have to Stand Your Ground & shoot her. Or when the 10 year old newspaper boy will "go rogue", start throwing newspapers a wee bit too close to your window, and you'll have to plug him to keep your house intact.

You never know.

have been for close to 30 years now and I admire the British Bobbies not carrying firearms, however, that being said, it would be suicide for American Law Enforcement officers to be unarmed.
When I'm on the job I carry 4 firearms, my dept. issue Glock .45 cal. side arm, a S&W snub nosed .38 cal. in an ankle holster, a dept. issue Remington 870 12 ga. shotgun and in the trunk of my patrol car is my personal Colt AR-15 .223 cal. rifle.

I hope the killing of these 2 British Bobbies is not a harbinger of things to come.