[BBell]

My Dad told me that when he was in Spain during the Franco years the police carried sub machine guns and that it was a very clean and orderly Country with a low crime rate.

[Olog-hai]

And none of the citizens carried guns, right?

[Blue Jays]

Police patrolling around with machine guns does not sound like a happy and peaceful existence.
It sounds like an oppressive and simmering place that could erupt into a boil nearly instantly.

[buwaya]

When we lived in rural Spain in the 1960s the Guardia Civil (the rural police with the funny hats) carried Mauser rifles.
The submachine guns were carried in certain places like border crossings, airports and patrolling certain towns where trouble could be expected. There was some guerilla activity and terrorism from Basque nationalists.