Death sparks police firearms plea

BBC News ^ | 11/21/05

[Starman417]

Police officers in Scotland should be armed when responding to incidents involving firearms, according to the Scottish Police Federation.

The call followed the death of Pc Sharon Beshenivsky, who was shot in Bradford on Friday while responding to an armed robbery at a travel agency.

But the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland said arming more officers was unnecessary.

Acpos president Peter Wilson said the nature of policing was "unpredictable".

The SPF said its policy since 1999 had been that police should not be routinely armed.

But it said some members felt its policy should be revised since firearms incidents had escalated by 20% last year.

Joe Grant, general secretary of the SPF, said: "There is also a feeling that a large percentage of officers should be armed and that we should be less reluctant to deploy firearms."

Mr Wilson said the issue of officers carrying firearms was complex and it was sometimes up to them to make the assessment at the scene because of limited information available to their radio controllers.

He said: "Sometimes it means waiting until back-up arrives or waiting until firearms arrive.

'Unpredictable' policing

"But it's unpredictable in most instances what might evolve, that's the nature of policing."

Mrs Beshenivsky, 38, a mother-of-three, was fatally shot on the day of her daughter's fourth birthday.

Her colleague Teresa Milburn, 37, was injured in the shooting.

Both officers were probationers with less than two years' service.

Six people have been arrested in connection with the shootings.

[andyk]

Police officers in Scotland should be armed when responding to incidents involving firearms,

They're not? They respond to armed robberies without firearms?

[mmercier]

I thought firearms were illegal in Scotland; therefore the police need not be armed.

[Argus]

Apparently the mental disease of extreme leftism has so infected Great Britain that they don't even allow their cops to have guns.

[sit-rep]

stuck on stupid comes to mind...

[goodnesswins]

STATEMENT of the OBVIOUS of the WEEK

[Starman417]

I guess those long purty sticks they carry are supposed to fight off the armed badguys.

Some more brilliance from the left.

[04-Bravo]

I think ACPOS President Wilson, unarmed, should respond to the next call of an armed robbery in progress.

[andyk]

the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland said arming more officers was unnecessary.

Sound familiar to anyone?

[Sender]

Duh.

[Drammach]

BBC's "What do You think?" comments are over 250 already..

Some of the most ignorant comments about the U.S. and the "wild west" atmosphere, the "horrible gun death" rates in the U.S., etc...

A very few commenters had a realistic understanding of the U.S. crime rates and gun vs. crime statistics..
The majority however, were frothing at the mouth anti-gun loonies, that would rather have thier police unarmed and at the mercy of criminals than accept the idea of armed cops..
Many of the comments seemed to believe that arming the police would actually ignite some sort of "arms war" between criminals and the cops in which all british citizens would end up dead..

Totally disgusting..

[Drammach]

Banglist added to Keywords..

Please add banglist to keywords whenever posting a gun-related article..

[Gigantor]

President Wilson, he puts the POS in ACPOS.

[William Tell]

They should start sending their firemen out on calls without fire engines. The sun has definitely set on the British Empire.

[Sender]

Sometimes it means waiting until back-up arrives or waiting until firearms arrive.

I'm going to offer this insider tip free of charge: If you have to wait until firearms arrive, it's too late to save whoever you were saving.

[supercat]

Apparently the mental disease of extreme leftism has so infected Great Britain that they don't even allow their cops to have guns.

Actually, having disarmed cops was not a bad thing around 1900. It meant that police would solicit help from armed citizens when necessary. Would be a good situation to return to here if the politicians would allow it.

[bad company]

Police officers in Scotland should be armed when responding to incidents involving firearms, according to the Scottish Police Federation.

I can't stop reading that line over and over. It's simply beyond my comprehension.

[NRA2BFree]

I can't imagine them sending officers into situations where criminals undoubtedly have guns and the officers have nothing to defend themselves with. It's total insanity.

[Little Ray]

They NEVER carried guns. Even now, only 10% of London's police are armed.

[jerry639]

What person would take the job of police officer anywhere that did not allow them to carry a firearm? One would have to be some kind of stupid!
My name had been mentioned to head of security at a local hospital 3 years ago by a friend, as they were looking for someone to work night shift. Agreed to go in and talk to the guy. First question I asked "Do I wear my pistol on my side or concealed?" When he stated that "Our security is not allowed to carry weapons", I tore up the job application, although I had not began to fill it out, and threw it on his desk and walked out. Anyone who thinks I am going to wrestle with a 250 lb. drug addict with a knife, or worse, is out of their ever loving mind.