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



edna krabappel

Well-known member
NSC Licker Extraordinaire
Jul 7, 2003
47,215
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.
 

Cheeky Monkey

Well-known member
Jul 17, 2003
22,924
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

Well-known member
Oct 24, 2005
49,900
Goldstone
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

Brighton Bhuna Boy
Jul 5, 2003
71,891
Living In a Box
If you work in or go to London you see armed police every day and very re-assurring as well
 


edna krabappel

Well-known member
NSC Licker Extraordinaire
Jul 7, 2003
47,215
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

Well-known member
NSC Licker Extraordinaire
Aug 25, 2011
63,156
Withdean area
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

Well-known member
Feb 1, 2009
46,377
Gloucester
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.
 


Harry Wilson's tackle

Harry Wilson's Tackle
NSC Licker Extraordinaire
Oct 8, 2003
49,057
Faversham
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

New member
Dec 16, 2003
12,828
Southwick
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

The most curious thing..
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

British and Proud
Oct 15, 2014
9,809
Crawley
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?

Thrifty non-licker
Feb 20, 2017
22,956
Sussex by the Sea
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

Well-known member
NSC Licker Extraordinaire
Aug 25, 2011
63,156
Withdean area
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

T'Blades
Dec 16, 2004
16,254
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

Well-known member
NSC Licker Extraordinaire
Aug 25, 2011
63,156
Withdean area
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

The most curious thing..
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

Well-known member
Aug 6, 2003
9,207
Swindon, but used to be Manila
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

Seaweed! Seaweed!
Apr 24, 2011
12,687
SouthCoast
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...
 

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