"..you don't need give policemen guns for them to be effective policemen"

First get the drug trafficking criminal gangs to disarm themselves. Fat chance.

"Task Force Maxima officers arrest Hells Angels bikie over cocaine and handgun
Gold Coast Bulletin
May 30, 2016

OFFICERS have charged a senior patched Hells Angels bikie after finding cocaine and a semiautomatic handgun in a car."

http://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/news/crime-court/task-force-maxima-officers-arrest-hells-angels-bikie-in-possession-of-cocaine-and-handgun/news-story/351dae01522e08bc5db52c9d776b3569

and

"Gold Coast bikie allegedly caught with loaded gun, gloves and tape in Mermaid Beach

Alexandria Utting, Gold Coast Bulletin
July 9, 2016 12:00am

POLICE are investigating whether a Nomads bikie allegedly caught with a loaded handgun down his pants at Mermaid Beach was on his way to settle a score.

They said the 25-year-old Sunshine Coast man was also carrying a bag containing gloves and tape when an eagle-eyed officer saw he was wearing bikie colours and stopped him as he left the carpark of an apartment complex on Seashell Ave, about 1.30am.

The plainclothes and uniformed officers had been called to a unit at the Splendido Apartments after receiving reports that a woman had been heard screaming.

Police will allege they found a fully loaded .44 magnum Ruger Redhawk revolver down the man’s pants."
http://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/news/crime-court/gold-coast-bikie-allegedly-caught-with-loaded-gun-gloves-and-tape-in-mermaid-beach/news-story/ce06b8bffa0ee3d3f2740ab3e1dad87a

Sure makes one wonder why Labor and Greens resolved to trash the Newman government's successful Vicious Lawless Association Disestablishment Act 2013 (VLAD), that was enacted to "severely punish members of criminal organisations that commit serious offenses".

//"..you don't need give policemen guns for them to be effective policemen"

First get the drug trafficking criminal gangs to disarm themselves.//

Actually, they have drugs, gangs and guns in the UK as well.

Toni Lavis,

You ignore the social problems of multiculturalism in the US where violence, including with weapons is largely black on black, involving drugs and gangs.

However the examples from the rest of Europe, examples being Sweden, Germany and France have caused the UK to stop and take stock of its own gathering social problems and growing violence and necessarily arming police to protect the public and themselves. The Brits have also discovered the means to reduce the importation of more problems too.

You should be aware though that unarmed police only results in delays, confusion and wasted resources while more police with the necessary firearms have to respond to the call, cross busy streets and be briefed on arrival. The offenders would be long gone after committing whatever crimes they choose.

This policeman was shot in the face on the Gold Coast,

"Gold Coast man shot cop in face with rifle: a court has heard

AAP, Gold Coast Bulletin
October 13, 2015 1:05pm

A MAN shot a police dog handler in the face with a rifle to avoid being arrested for a Gold Coast armed robbery, a court has heard.

Robert George Speedy, 49, of Labrador, pleaded not guilty in the Brisbane Supreme Court today to the attempted murder of Sergeant Gary Hamrey on September 27, 2012.

During the opening of his trial prosecutor Phil McCarthy said Speedy shot Sgt Hamrey from four metres after he and an accomplice were cornered behind a shed after stealing $40,000 from the Arundel Tavern."

The courageous cop managed to return fire to curtail further attack.

However you would not be volunteering to be that cop and with no protection outside of a cotton shirt where the offender always has the drop on you, now would you?

The claim that arming police gives rise to violence is absolute rubbish.

//You ignore the social problems of multiculturalism in the US where violence, including with weapons is largely black on black, involving drugs and gangs.//

I have not mentioned the US. I was comparing the situations in Britain and Australia, which have similar cultures but different approaches towards policing, with both approaches appearing to be quite effective based on crime rates.

//However you would not be volunteering to be that cop and with no protection outside of a cotton shirt where the offender always has the drop on you, now would you?//

No, I prefer a nice indoors job with no heavy lifting. The world needs nerds as well as macho, macho men.

//The claim that arming police gives rise to violence is absolute rubbish.//

That wasn't my claim. My claim is that not arming police with firearms does not prevent them from being effective policemen, based on the evidence from the UK. Do you have any evidence to refute that claim, rather than the strawman you'd prefer to attack?

Dear Toni Travis,

To the charge //The claim that arming police gives rise to violence is absolute rubbish.// you wrote “That wasn't my claim.”

My question to you is why not?

The evidence in the UK is irrefutable. When they increased the number of armed officers to around 17% there was a dramatic rise in civilian deaths from police shootings. So much so they reversed their decision and now only 7% are permitted to carry weapons.

“The issue of routine arming in Great Britain was raised after the 1952 Derek Bentley case, in which a Constable was shot dead and a Sergeant severely wounded, and again after the 1966 Massacre of Braybrook Street, in which three London officers were killed. As a result, around 17% of officers in London became authorised to carry firearms. After the deaths of a number of members of the public in the 1980s fired upon by police, control was considerably tightened, many officers had their firearm authorisation revoked, and training for the remainder was greatly improved. As of 2005, around 7% of officers in London are trained in the use of firearms. Firearms are also only issued to an officer under strict guidelines.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police_use_of_firearms_in_the_United_Kingdom

" As a result of the shootings,<b> unarmed </b> officers at the local police station were informed and began following Bird's taxi as it drove onto Coach Road. There, Bird fired his shotgun at a passing taxi, injuring the male driver, Terry Kennedy, and the female passenger, Emma Percival. Bird was then able to flee the officers after he aimed his shotgun at two of them, forcing them to take cover. However, he did not fire; he instead took advantage of the <b> unarmed officers'</b> distraction to escape"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumbria_shootings