This is my Handgun, there are many like it

God bless the civil libertarians.

It is not good enough that the police have had to use lower case letters on their vehicles with the word ‘Police’ because all caps is too intimidating, now they can’t carry guns? God forbid the day you or any one dear to you is put in a situation where you are totally reliant on the police and their guns, then my friend you may pull your head out of your ass and realise they are there for a reason.

As VG mentioned earlier those who criticise loudest are the ones that have absolutely no concept how much crime is in Canberra.

“if you want the police in that situation you want them armed and you want them quickly.”

unless you’re the criminal of course

Which raises the question of how do criminals view Police being armed? Would they prefer they weren’t so they had the guns and the police didn’t. Or do they like Police having guns so that when they get in trouble with other criminals the Police can actually do something about it?

NTP do you think you can do a survey of crims to see what they think of Police being armed?

Like the NZ police eh. Firstly their Sergeants have pump action shotguns on board their patrol vehicles. Secondly if there is the potential a firearm may be needed they go back to the station and Glock up. I think the response time to a similar incident would be much quicker in Australia, and as Lurker Gal alluded to if you want the police in that situation you want them armed and you want them quickly.

Only to have the courts say ‘I know you have already been given a good behaviour bond, but if you continue to behave this way I’ll be forced to give you another one’.

Or as one magistrate in this town used to ask every defendant they convicted ‘has it cost you anything to come to court today’?

If I’m ever being threatened and call the police intervene, I don’t want them running in to save me yelling at the perpetrator “Stop or I’ll… say “stop” again”.

Worked City Beats for 5 years. Not quite that dramatic as I’ve never worried about getting a thrashing from anyone, but the guns are far more relevant for all the reasons discussed above

My police officer mate tells me his beat stories. Basically, two cops can often face the reality that they will get a thrashing at the hands of a drunk booner with a bit of go in him. Thats when they need a gun, to avoid getting their brains dashed across the pavement.

I’ll raise the backup issue with him and see what he says.

Be my guest.

JB, probably the most sensible way of putting it I have seen, well said. May I use that one?

In the UK population density lets them keep really heavily armed reaction squads within a few mintues of any location.

it makes a lot of sense but we don’t have those population densities here.

Our police have to be able to cope without backup, so they need to be armed.