Arming the British Police

the long version

As the fear of violent crime escalates, many inhabitants of the British Isles are calling for the police to carry guns. Even the police themselves, long staunch opponents of the idea, are beginning to view this as a necessary measure to enable them to protect themselves. Many others, however, remain strongly opposed to the concept of the police being regularly armed when on duty. In particular, they believe that this country could follow the American example, with a horrifying increase in shootings. Arming the British Police examines the history of violent crime and violence against the representatives of law and order, and looks at the extent to which the 'unarmed' British police have had recourse to firearms in the past, with some surprising findings. This is a dispassionate overview of the debate that surrounds the issue of arming the police. Roy Ingleton closely examines the arguments advanced by both sides, providing a wealth of data from Britain and overseas to enable readers to form their own conclusions about this complex and important controversy.