Brit cops want more armed police

[Standard Dave]

The Federation has released the survey results.

Police facing increasing threat

Increasing numbers of British police officers feel their personal safety is under threat and want more ways to protect themselves, a new survey has revealed.

Of 141,000 officers surveyed by the Police Federation of England and Wales (Polfed), 40 per cent said they had been assaulted during the course of doing their job.

The vast majority of those questioned believe that officers should be supplied with Taser stun guns, with 89 per cent wanting mainstream police to be permitted to use them.

The survey also revealed that 58.4 per cent of those polled believed that body armour should be worn by police officers as a matter of course.

But the general consensus is still against police in England and Wales being armed as standard, with 77 per cent rejecting routine arming of officers and 13.8 per cent declaring their unwillingness to ever carry a firearm.

"With over a third of all police officers in England and Wales responding, this survey highlights the dangers police officers face every day and send a clear message to the Association of Chief Police Officers," Polfed chairman, Jan Berry, said.

"Namely, that despite fearing for their lives on more occasions, most police officers throughout the country still do not want to be routinely armed. But chief officers must not continue to fail the men and women who risk their lives every day to protect the communities they serve.

"They must ensure that there are sufficient numbers of authorised firearms officers to call upon, to deal with the increasing number of gun crimes reported each year and I urge the new home secretary to hold chief officers to account on this."

The number of armed officers on British streets has increased from 5,763 in 2002/03 to 6,243 in 2004/05, but Polfed believes that this should be even higher and has asked Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary to "ensure we have sufficient numbers of [armed officers]".

Polfed commissioned the survey following the fatal stabbing of West Yorkshire policewoman Sharon Beshenivsky outside a Bradford travel agency last year.

It also coincides with the death of special constable Nisha Patel-Nasri, a part-time officer with the Metropolitan police who was stabbed to death outside her north-west London home last week.

http://www.polfed.org/default_newsfe...cleid=17117941


http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0...221798,00.html

http://www.ntlworld.com/news/story_u...oryid=29964102

[BigBossMan]

I agree... Give them something.

[Sapper_132]

Let them carry, what are they affraid of? If a ciminal wants a gun he'll get one. At least let ALL the police have them.

[nitestokker]

I honestly don't believe how ANY police officer from ANY country can go unarmed these days, both on and off-duty. It's not just the terrorism threat, but it seems like the crazies are getting crazier and they aren't afraid of anything! GIVE 'EM DEM GATS!

[FishTail]

"Namely, that despite fearing for their lives on more occasions, most police officers throughout the country still do not want to be routinely armed.

I call BS on that!

[keith720]

It's obvious that the policies as to whether or not to arm Brirtish police are being determined by those who have never put on the uniform. They are stuck with the traditional idea that there is no need for armed police, when the reality is that officers and civilians are going to die if this "tradition" is allowed to continue.

[Standard Dave]

I think an increase in the number of officers armed would make the difference.

I also think that criminals would think twice if uniformed officers who were armed didn't display the weapons at all times as the criminals wouldn't know just by looking at the car or the officers if they were armed.