More armed police - do you feel safer ?

Just seen this mornings news about a stabbing in Russell Square, ironic isn't it

Nipsmum, I don't want to spread gloom and despondency - but that is what some of the people in the French town where the priest was killed had thought. It would probably be naive of any of us to assume that our neck of the woods is exempt. Perhaps the perpetrators of evil perceive that, and would wish to capitalise on the greater disgust and shockwaves following a 'softer' target.

inishowen - but it should be a big deal because it normalises things. We do not want an American situation.

Sheilasue. Not sure whether it was ironic, as havent seen much news today, and I dont know the timeline of things, and whether Londoners knew that police were about to be armed, before the rest of the UK did.
So it is possible that the man who did the stabbing got triggered in some way by the news of armed police? As I say, I am not up to date with the news.

I was actually commenting on Police with guns, not on the actual likelihood of terrorism reaching this part of the world. I'm not totally stupid

Nipsmum Scotland will have an armed unit as much as anywhere else. If you take a trip out to Balmoral, you'll see armed police! www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-36547739

No one wants police to be armed but I fear it's a necessary evil in this day & age. God forbid, but should an attack such as in Paris were to occur in the UK how else would be it be brought to an end except by an armed response?

News reports say armed police responded to 999 calls and were on site within five minutes last night. The man was subdued by taser, he wasn't shot despite the presence of armed police. Sounds like a speedy, proportionate response to me.

I daresay the police officers themselves are none too happy with the current heightened risk of terror,and I for one would smile at,or ask assistance from an armed officer.They need the support and the solidarity of the public.That doesn't mean I'm happy to see them armed,but then I'm not happy that this weekend when all my DC'so are meeting up at a city centre food festival there's a background anxiety that somewhere, sometime there will be another terrorist atrocity.And I for one think it's just as likely to be outside London.DH ,myself and our then 5 year old DD had just got off a train in Manchester the day the IRA destroyed the Arnadale centre.We had intended to get the previous train,and if so would have been even closer to the blast.The police were fantastic that day,keeping everyone calm and escorting us to safety as it was feared another bomb was going to detonate at the station itself.
DDs partner volunteers as a police special and several times a month is out until 2/3 in the morning ,and although he will never be firearm trained has undergone hours and hours of training in his own time in preparation for a major incident.He joined out of real desire to make a difference in his community.
Any innocent loss of life is of course entirely regrettable. But let's also remember police lives have been lost,many.Nicola Hughes,Fiona Bone and Sharon Beshenivsky up in my neck of the woods.

Nobody has ever suggested that armed police will stop 'lone wolf' attacks - whether terrorist or not - such as we have seen in recent weeks. The idea is quick response to any situation which arises and containment. Criticism was made of the confused reaction to the Charlie Hebdo attack in Paris amongst others when there was little coordination in the response.
As far as arming the police is concerned, I also find it sad to see armed police on the streets as I did last weekend in London, but unfortunately it is part of life today.

This was the response just 1/2 mile from my home, when a man brandished a penknife in our service station, over kill or what. I'm sure a taser would be adequate against a penknife. Had they started shooting who else could have been shot. Apparently by the the time they arrived and this picture was taken, the man was back home.

Take a look at the unfortunate header in green just above the picture, not connected, I'm sure.

www.eadt.co.uk/news/armed_police_called_after_disturbance_at_shell_tiptree_service_station_1_3912013

Where's the editor when you need him/her G&T?

nipsmum There is certainly an armed response team in Edinburgh - you can bet your boots that Aberdeen has one too.

The police wouldn't have known what the weapon was when the firearms team was assembled. It's so easy to say it's overkill, that isn't what folks would be saying if it had gone pear shaped.
Apologies if I seem to be leaping to the defence of our boys n girls in blue but you'd think they were queuing up to be armed, which they surely are not. Most of our police do not want to carry guns. The armed response teams are made up of 'volunteers'. I expect some of those individuals are a bit gung ho in their approach, despite careful selection. I wouldn't want to be in their shoes but I'm relieved someone is prepared to be.

Exactly Iam. They will be damned if they do, and damned if they don't and I would hate to have that level of responsibility, and danger.I fear it's only a matter of time before police are lured to some set up and held hostage and worse.

At one time, a long time ago, I was proud of being British because we had free education, right up to university level, the NHS, a welfare state providing a safety net for those in need, the BBC, an unarmed police force and a United Kingdom.

How much is left and how long will that last?

I recently mentioned to an American facebook friend that we were a bit worried by having armed police at our airports. She replied that she would be terrified if she arrived at an airport and there weren't armed police

Hear hear! varian

15th August is a special holiday here in France but a lot of celebrations have been cancelled due to fears about security. France is also bringing back a National Guard after 150 years.
Our world is changing quickly and not for the better

The Tiptree incident was not overkill.

A knife is a knife and are our 'everyday' police are obviously not armed but would have been called to deal with the incident. Having no equipment bar a taser (which may have been difficult to deploy at very close quarters), they may have had great difficulty in bringing the situation to an end. Would you wish to tackle someone with a knife? A gun speaks volumes..

Times have changed. There are people who want to kill, maim and generally disrupt our societies. They seek to destroy our way of life, cause social discontent and every discussion on the rights and wrongs of whether our police should/should not be armed is yet another feather in their cap. We are at war. I realie this looks dramatic but I think it is true.

I have not stopped travelling into London, using the underground and buses, shopping in centres etc. My children work in central London and none of us will stop doing so as, with when the IRA tried terror tatctics, we cannot show fear (despite how I sometimes feel).

There is no knowing who/when or where we will be affected but that is the 'joy' of terror. They wish us to be afraid and change our behaviour.

Oops, have gone off on a tangent. Sorry. I'll go and shout at Any Questions on the radio, instead.

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