Would having armed Police on the streets of The United Kingdom stop the terrorists?

[Lady Whistledown]

Say all the police in Brighton were armed. Would that stop a marauding terrorist attack if somebody decided to launch one in Churchill Square? No, it wouldn't. Because the police aren't in every place, all the time. Even less so these days, when the numbers of local officers have been cut hugely. There would still be a gap of a few minutes whilst waiting for them to arrive, and as we all know, all sorts of damage can be inflicted in seconds, never mind minutes.

Arming the police might reduce numbers of casualties, I guess.

Or it might up the ante as far as potential terrorists are concerned.

 

[Weststander]

Prevent? No.
Reduce the number of victims the terrorists can kill? Probably.

Definitely.

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

Sorry, but a few years ago a bloke from Plymouth tried to attack a cafe in Exeter.
Now, he was a white simpleton who thought he had converted to Islam, he got put away for some time and I believe he died a few years ago.
Not a terrorist but it can happen anywhere but you are mostly at risk in the bigger cities.

Organised terrorist cells are the most significant threat, and they aren't going to waste resources blowing up Bills restaurant in Lewes, they want to maximise their sacrifice and impact. Last night and Manchester made the lead stories of just about every newspaper worldwide.

 

[Triggaaar]

Arming the police might reduce numbers of casualties, I guess.

Or it might up the ante as far as potential terrorists are concerned.

I remember the first time I ever saw a gun, about 35 years ago, carried by the security at Geneva airport. Scary stuff to this little child. The UK managed to go for a long time without arming the police (presumably to stop the ante of the baddies being upped), but it was armed police that shot the attackers yesterday. And I don't think the terrorist can up the ante, they'll already try their best, using whatever they can. That means bombs (which are hard to make), knives (easy to obtained, but limited casualties) and vehicles (too easy unfortunately). Armed police should help keep deaths down.

 

[Beach Hut]

If you work in or go to London you see armed police every day and very re-assurring as well

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Realistically it's not limitless, you're not going to bother with some campsite in Chipping Sodbury. You're talking the big cities, probably Brighton wouldn't be considered worth the bother, and not just because it's a relatively small population centre, but because it's not globally known in the way that London, Manchester, Birmingham or Glasgow are, and so the 'political' capital is less.

On the other hand: imagine the fear you could instil if you attacked somewhere unexpected (not sure if that's the right word, but hopefully you get what I'm saying) like Ipswich, or Wigan, Torquay, Halifax, Cheltenham or Aberystwyth? Currently, I think there's a temptation for all of us to believe we're safe if we're not in the sort of typical target places, like London, or at major sporting events.

If we had to deal with a reality where we were constantly in fear and under threat wherever we were, as opposed to feeling safe because we can easily avoid the big targets, then that might actually go much further towards achieving the aims of groups like ISIS.

 

[Weststander]

Organised terrorist cells are the most significant threat, and they aren't going to waste resources blowing up Bills restaurant in Lewes, they want to maximise their sacrifice and impact. Last night and Manchester made the lead stories of just about every newspaper worldwide.

Not always sacrifice. Some aren't suicide attackers.

If major cities get massive protection, ISIS also target smaller things.

In France they killed a priest in Rouen and a rural policeman at home elsewhere.

 

[GT49er]

You would probably need to have armed officers paired up all the time as I could see terrorists who only had access to knives trying to ambush a lone armed officer to get his firearm and ammunition. It's a no from me.

When did you last see a policeman on the streets on his own? They're seen on the streets little enough, heaven knows, but always in twos these days.

 

[JC Footy Genius]

When did you last see a policeman on the streets on his own? They're seen on the streets little enough, heaven knows, but always in twos these days.

Fair point normally a Police officer and a PCSO. Or two PCSO's.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Realistically it's not limitless, you're not going to bother with some campsite in Chipping Sodbury. You're talking the big cities, probably Brighton wouldn't be considered worth the bother, and not just because it's a relatively small population centre, but because it's not globally known in the way that London, Manchester, Birmingham or Glasgow are, and so the 'political' capital is less.

Sadly that is exactly what they will bother with.

Yesterday's attackers were tin pot. They had no guns and no explosives. 'Inspired by' ISIS rather than sent by them. No if I were into spreading total terror I would make the enemy think 'we' could strike anywhere. That means a campsite in sodding chipbury. A Sunday School meeting in Portslade. The more mundane the more shocking.

I don't think arming all police would help. It is a fact however that if the public were armed these nutters would have been shot long before they had killed and injured so many.

But I am definitely not in favour of arming the public. That sort of 'reasoning' is for Loonies. As is quoting people out of context in order to reinforce a racist stereotypy and support an anti 'left' agenda. The scumbag on the other thread who did all that needs to take a good look at himself.

 

[whitelion]

I remember the first time I ever saw a gun, about 35 years ago, carried by the security at Geneva airport. Scary stuff to this little child. The UK managed to go for a long time without arming the police (presumably to stop the ante of the baddies being upped), but it was armed police that shot the attackers yesterday. And I don't think the terrorist can up the ante, they'll already try their best, using whatever they can. That means bombs (which are hard to make), knives (easy to obtained, but limited casualties) and vehicles (too easy unfortunately). Armed police should help keep deaths down.

The first time I saw armed police on the streets was in Lloret de Mar on the Costa Brava in 1977 when I went with a group of lads for a "sun booze and birds" holiday.

We were all quite surprised to see this as we were just there for some fun. It was not long after the death of Franco and there was still a bit of a political vacuum which we weren't aware of at the time.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

There were armed police on the streets in Liverpool ten days ago. It didn't make me feel safer at all - if anything it made me rather concerned about my personal safety when I was walking past them, when before and up to that point I hadn't worried about it at all.

 

[spence]

There were armed police on the streets in Liverpool ten days ago. It didn't make me feel safer at all - if anything it made me rather concerned about my personal safety when I was walking past them, when before and up to that point I hadn't worried about it at all.

Pathetic
Does it worry you every time you go abroad and see a foreign police officer carrying a gun? Like France,Spain,Germany etc?

 

[Is it PotG?]

There were armed police on the streets in Liverpool ten days ago. It didn't make me feel safer at all - if anything it made me rather concerned about my personal safety when I was walking past them, when before and up to that point I hadn't worried about it at all.

I bet UK airports freak you out too?

 

[Weststander]

The first time I saw armed police on the streets was in Lloret de Mar on the Costa Brava in 1977 when I went with a group of lads for a "sun booze and birds" holiday.

We were all quite surprised to see this as we were just there for some fun. It was not long after the death of Franco and there was still a bit of a political vacuum which we weren't aware of at the time.

I remember the same, on our first holiday to Spain in 1978.

Spain had the threat of ETA at that time, who routinely shot and bombed police, army and politicians anywhere.

 

[Da Man Clay]

When did you last see a policeman on the streets on his own? They're seen on the streets little enough, heaven knows, but always in twos these days.

You don't see police officers just wandering around anymore (outside of London and big metropolitan forces). Bobbies walking the beat doesn't really exist anywhere else. PCSOs you will see in twos though. They are the visible presence nowadays.

 

[Weststander]

There were armed police on the streets in Liverpool ten days ago. It didn't make me feel safer at all - if anything it made me rather concerned about my personal safety when I was walking past them, when before and up to that point I hadn't worried about it at all.

In reverse, we could completely disarm all police at places such as Gatwick and central London, to increase our feeling of personal safety.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Pathetic
Does it worry you every time you go abroad and see a foreign police officer carrying a gun? Like France,Spain,Germany etc?

Yes, yes it does.

 

[swindonseagull]

It would not be as easy as arming all cops,
Many cops have been in the service for years and would not / maynot be capable of handling weapons, its something that should be installed and taught from day one of service as in the military not after being in the Police for many years.

Its not as easy as ' pop down the armoury and pick up your weapon'

During the Gulf us Air Force guys who carried arms on the aircraft had refresher training monthly...( not something I looked foward to)

 

[GoldWithFalmer]

Did no bat an eyelid at the firearms units opposite the Palace pier last Sunday afternoon,but would not like to see them on our streets everyday...