More armed police - do you feel safer ?

It is so sad that our 'bobbies' are being armed (well, some of them). I thought it said a lot for our society that our police were not armed. Armed police look more like soldiers than policemen. Will they really deter a terrorist attack? Unlikely. These terrorists don't care about being killed. In my busy, tourist-packed northern city I never see a policeman let alone an armed one.

I agree with Rosina, armed police on the streets certainly make me feel safer. Sheilasue, like you my son works in central London, he and his partner and child live in London, and we travel to London at least once a fortnight to do childcare, and I'm pleased that there will be armed police there to (try to) protect us all. A terrorist attack could occur anywhere in the country so we need armed police visible in every city, but whatever we do, we cannot protect every train, bus, ferry, cinema, restaurant, church etc and of course the terrorists know this. However I still find armed police reassuring.

I don't like the police being armed, except in exceptional circumstances. It's never made me feel safer when I've been on holiday in countries where they have armed police, and I don't think I would feel safer here. I think it just raises the stakes, resulting in more guns on the street and more shootings. That seems to be the way it has gone in the US.

My granddaughter has always wanted to be a police officer, and it is still her ambition now that my DD's family have moved to the States. The fact that she would carry a gun and come up against many people - law-abiding or criminal - who are also armed causes me great concern. It doesn't worry her at all. In fact, I think that the gun may have added to the job's desirability but, of course, she's a teenager and they never think anything bad will happen to them.

No thevira taegetted Birmingham, Warrington and Manchester, My dad was a snr officer, sent for to do firearms training at the height of the IRA campaign. He didn't want to do it, was committed to an unarmed police force but he did the training.

They said tonight that armed police would be a presence in cities throughout England not just London.
Think it's one of those situations where the police are damned if they do and damned if they don't.
Life has changed and sadly we must change to protect our life and country.

Sir William Blackstone (July 10, 1723 – February 14, 1780)
It is better that ten guilty persons escape, than that one innocent suffer

Gononsuch And it predates Stalin and Hitler by about 200 years

I'm slightly dubious about the safety of armed police because I have seen them do some stupid things with guns in the past.
Not many people know that Michael Bentine, who was an expert shot, used to train the Met in handling firearms.

Just take yourself back to the 50s - unbelievably different!!!!

The arms training for the police used to be done on Hounslow Heath.

Gononsuch, might I respectfully suggest that you brush up on your history before posting what is in the main idiotic rubbish.

The armed police they showed on the news this evening looked quite terrifying; however, I have been in countries where the police have been armed and they carry a gun in a holster which you wouldn't really notice.

At places like major airports or where they are aware of a threat I would be reassured but I don't think I would like to see the police on the beat routinely armed.

I approached an armed policeman in Paris last summer to ask directions. He couldn't have been more helpful, taking out his phone to consult maps.

We are in central London a fair bit and have noticed many more armed - with Heckler and Koch (big guns!) - police on the streets. We find their presence reassuring as we are at war, whether we have declared one or not.

I agree the police can't be everywhere, they are a reassurance (but hardly a deterrant as the mad bug**rs actually want to die). What else are we to do? Roll over?

I smile as I pass and usually receive a nod and smile in return. I would approach them if I had the need - they would probably welcome some contact.

theconversation.com/five-years-after-his-death-sparked-riots-we-must-not-forget-mark-duggan-62748

My guess is that there have been well informed terror alerts. Where the armed police are, may make a difference, so reassuring possibly?

But I cant see that they can do that everywhere in London for any length of time.

I dont know whether anyone knows if there was say a terrorist attack, would it mean that armed police are ready to go, even if they are in the wrong place? Would it be a speedier reaction in that case?

It should not be overlooked that many modern guns have tremendous firepower; some of them are capable of firing straight through the walls of a house and out the other side. In a crowded situation, many civilians could easily be killed or easily wounded if police opened fire.

A minus - it will make some people more jumpy. It may prompt more people with mental illness to act??
[I did used to know someone who got quite riled and jumpy, when things of this nature were occuring, and I was never quite sure how he would ultimately react. I have lost contact with him now, so dont know what happened to him].[yes I have seen the news].

A positive. People will be more vigilant about packages and rucksacks?

There must also be undercover people out and about amongst us. Dangerous times.

Most potential attacks are discovered and neuralised before they overspill into violence through 'intelligence' - thank goodness.

But for those that slip through the net, or for these 'loner and loser' attacks then we can hardly expect the local bobby with his trunceon and taser to be sufficient. Attacks like those on shopping centres and other crowded areas need an armed response, sadly. Imagine terrorists loose at, for example, the Bullring.

This is about saving civilian lives on the ground and, yes, there's no simple solution to situations like this, but at least something is being put in place. Terrifying though they may look I'd rather see them if I'm ever in that situation than the alternative.

The group of officers who are well are armed have access to motor cycles and boats so they can move quickly if an incident occurs as distance from them.

I am not minimising the risk to the public but in the current climate, to link the death of Mark Duggan as a potential reason for us having only unarmed officers on our streets seems inflammatory.

Today's tragic knife attack in London, shows that the police cannot stop these events. A shooter would have run out of bullets before they arrive and a suicide bomber would have completed his deed long before.

Maybe so GrandTea but does that mean we don't have any armed officers on the streets. If an armed police officer had been in the vicinity, it's possible the attack could have been stopped, or may not have happened.
It seems this attack may have been carried out by another individual who has significant mental health problems.

Yes this does appear to be non-terrorist related.

Had it been a terrorist and an armed officer had been nearby, the terrorist would have gone elsewhere, same result, different place.

I'm sure the armed police are to make people feel more secure, but are a potential stable door scenario.

It's so sad that Britain has come to this .

Yes, it is so sad that all of europe is under threat. There are armed officers patrolling the beaches in France. I feel as I did when the IRA were marauding, let's all get on with our lives. Let's also be grateful that the majority of our police officers are honest and to be relied on in an emergency. They're the ones who have to run towards danger, whilst the rest of us run the other way.

Mrs. P, has just made a very valid comment (she does sometimes).

Had an armed officer been near, the event would still have occurred, but a mentally ill person would have been shot rather than tasered.

In America he would be dead.