Arming the Police - Essay Example

Arming the Police Executive summary There has been debate on whether the British police should be routinely armed. This debate came to life after a series of incidences that led to the loss of life of innocent civilians. The current practice in Britain is that the police do not carry lethal weapons on their routine but are rather, armed with an aluminum stick and pepper spray. These are the equipment police officers in Britain use to combat crime. The equipment might be insufficient in some situations rendering the police helpless. Recent statistics shows the increase in violent crime putting into danger the members of the UK police force. The deaths of police officers are steadily increasing. This has been further necessitated by the global ownership of guns by civilians thus complicating the services offered by the British unarmed policepersons. Activities and police authorities have been on the frontline advocating for the Arming of the force arguing that this would assist them in self-defense against armed criminals, as well as enable them offer maximum protection to the public. It is of significant implication for all Britons to unite and advocate for arming of the police force for better preparation against armed criminals and terrorists more so in this technological world. Introduction The topic to establish armed police is a contagious issue that has raised many eyebrows. Legislatures in the UK have to keep the risks implicated in perspective before passing the policy. The UK has been consistently and routinely unarmed although numerous people have been calling for them to be armed due to rise in gun-crimes in the UK. Those calling for the routinely armed police argue that routinely arming the police is an efficient prevention to criminal behavior and criminal acts. Countless lives have been lost because unarmed police response to armed criminal acts is not prompt. However, in countries where there is the existence of armed police actions they respond speedy to attacks by armed criminals. Literature Review Gun-related crime is still not rampant in the UK as crime statistics indicate. Last year England and Wales recorded 4,000-armed incidents with 42 people dying from gunfire wounds. In comparison, the U.S registers around 30,000 citizens are killed every year by guns and over 90,000 injured. The British police are famed worldwide for being unarmed although this is not the reality. Although the police do not have firearms, they are routinely issued with other weapons and have a broad access to guns as well as other lethal and non-lethal weapons. The UK police are locally organized into a number of hugely county-based forces, each of which has own detailed arrangements (McLaughlin, 2007, P.187). The closest a mainland British police force has reached in being routinely armed was in 1984, in London, after two officers were murdered. The metropolitan Police commissioner of the time permitted officers to carry their revolvers during night patrols. This continued until 1936 when it stopped because guns were required to be locked in police stations’ cupboards after the days work (Maguire, Morgan & Reiner, 2007, P.345). Since 1829, when Sir Robert Peel introduced legislation under, which the contemporary police formation roots the police have carried around the truncheon. However, in 1992 broad scientific testing was carried out on options to replace the truncheon plus measuring damage potential. In-force testing was conducted, and the Home secretary endorsed recommendations that the flexible side-handled baton (ESHB) be permitted to substitute the truncheon. Another alternative established in the 1990s was the adoption of stiff handcuffs, which in 1991 replaced the initial chain linked handcuffs (Mawby, 2002, P.123). The chief constables were allowed to introduce CS spray in their forces in 1996. This was after an earlier assessment in the same year, which did not identify any significant problems: it concluded that the spray was a safer alternative, both for the force and the public, than the use of batons. Armed Response Vehicles whose members of three are always armed patrol some places of London. However, although this means toward the arming of the police, the utilization of firearms remains regulated and restricted to certain specialized police units. In deciding if to deploy extra-armed police officers on to the streets, the police have to consider the probability that is this could lead to a huge number of deaths. In the case of the U.S where the police are armed, their own weapons have killed sizeable amount of police officers. Similarly, when the police have opened fire or reiterated to criminals shooting has always ended in controversy. Britain in an aim to avoid such problems often selects elder and more experienced officers to be trained in the use of firearms. However, those selected are often subjected to rigorous tests and marksmanship to test for their fitness. The British authorities however, are concerned that arming larger number of officers may lower the standards offered. They are reserved to fully allow the arming the police. This is because arming the police is a delicate balance for the British citizens and police. The police have to find a balanced way to react to the risk from armed criminals without, without offending the populace of Britons who are not fully committed to the idea of officers carrying guns. Currently Nottingham is the only British town that has armed police officers patrolling its streets and debate on arming more police officers in other cities is underway. However, at this 21st century era routinely arming the police would be of advantageous to the police force and the citizens as a whole. Armed police officers are given an edge to protect the citizens and defend themselves. This is critical, as currently there is an increase in global gun ownership, which puts the criminals on the driving seat when faced with an unarmed police force. This has led to the culture of illicit gun culture increasing the risk of police officers being the gun crime victims. Therefore, the police officers should be armed firstly as a measure of self-protection and enhancing security of the people instead of being involved in firearms confrontations. According to Home Office ( 2005,P. 2), in 2010, the government carried out a review into the ongoing program of work aimed to enhance the police and military response to a possible terrorist attack, which ended in the program being notably expanded and accelerated. All firearm officers in the country currently have access to higher caliber weaponry, and advanced tactics and training. There is nowadays a permanent addition of police firearms capacity in key cities and improved methods to offer speedy back up for neighboring areas when called upon. It is critical to arm the police in these circumstances, as armed police officers will help to curb dangers posed by terrorist, and other criminals unlike the unarmed police (Newburn, 2008, P.122). Figures depicting the armed police in England and Wales show that arming the police might be of immense benefit to the country than cause harm. For instance, the Cumbria Killings in 2010 has instigated on the vitality of arming the police following the death of nine people who were shot at under the noses of the police. Though the police were present, they were not armed to counter the Derrick Bird the man who bizarrely killed the innocent citizens. The police were only armed with some pepper and a hollow aluminum stick rendering them a no match to the criminal (Newburn, 2004, P.99). There is a psychological advantage to the citizens if the police are armed. The British police should be armed so that the citizens achieve this psychological harmony. People are more relaxed and assured when they see a police walking around armed because they feel a sense of security. The presence of armed officers gives people the confidence and safety assurance as the walk along streets as they feel that no criminal will attack or threaten them in the presence of an armed officer of the law. Therefore, for the British people to walk around comfortably, the police should be armed for the safety of the public (Reiner, 2010, P. 78). Analysis and discussions There has always been a heated debate on the issue of arming the police on a routine basis. Cases of violent crimes in the UK have increased leading to public outcry over the case of unwarranted deaths. Statistics show that last year there were 4000 violent incidences. This translated to 42 gunshot based deaths in the same year. This is due to the tactic that has been employed by the UK’s police force of not bearing lethal arms in their routine rounds and duties. They instead prefer to carry weapons that aim only to disable a suspect temporarily. Some of the weapons the police prefer to use in their routine duties include paper spray, and a button made of aluminum. The use of this tactic has put the policemen and women lives in danger, and also it has rendered the police helpless in situations of violent crimes, leading to the unnecessary and avoidable loss of lives. For example, the shooting in Cumbria, where nine people were murdered even after the police had reached the scene. This was because they were unable to react since they were inadequately armed to intervene (Leishman, Loveday & Savage, 2000, P.312). This led to the needless of lives of innocent civilians due to the policy. Some of the issues raised cause genuine concern among lawmakers and the public. However, some factions are still apprehensive on the issue of police officers carrying lethal weapons. The public should realize that the police are normal human being and are prone to mortality like any other person. Though the issue of life and death is sensitive and lives cannot be replaced, it is vital to appreciate the complexities that are involved in the task of keeping law and order. It should also be understood that the police face imminent danger from violent criminals while doing their daily duties. As Michael Winner, a founder of the police memorial trust insisted that the police should be armed citing that the UK society was arming itself more over in recent years hence causing an increase in violent crime. He further asserts that the death of 28 police officers out of the 33 that died could have been prevented if the officers were armed. They also face resistance repeatedly, while trying to enforce the law and this puts them in harm’s way. All this factors make it clear that; it is paramount for the police to be well equipped to handle the uncertain and mostly dangerous situations they face in the line of duty (Button, 2003, p.234). Firearms are also essential in order for the police to protect the general population from the danger of violent criminals. When the police bear arms, it will give the public a sense of security in that it will assure the public on the ability of the law enforcers to handle violent crime. This will go a long way in bolstering the sense of security that the public since it will influence them psychologically to feel secure. It will also discourage the criminals from engaging the police hence reducing the cases of violent crimes. Conclusion The issue on police arming in the UK is a complex one with different sides having different stands on the matter. It is evident that police work is dangerous, and it requires them to be adequately armed. This in order to handle these situations accordingly while protecting their safety and the security of the population they are sworn to protect. Though there have been incidences of misappropriation of the privilege of bearing arms by some individuals in the police force, the whole force should not be condemned holistically since, in the same force there are dedicated and responsible officers that are dedicated to the service of maintaining order and enforcing the law. The public should realize that the police officers have positioned their lives in risk to serve the community. The police should be appreciated and should not be seen as the enemy. The police on their part should try and sensitize the public on the dangers they face in their occupation and the reasons behind the importance of arming the force. Strict rules on the use of firearms by the police should be clearly stipulated, in order to ensure the code of conduct is followed. A government commission should be formed, in order to guarantee that the use of arms follows the regulations. The police should set stiff penalties for gun use. This will be a vital step, to reassure the public, who have grown uneasy on the issue of an armed police force. Police recruits should also be vetted carefully in order to ensure the new members picked are mentally capable of handling this responsibility. Recruits or existing members of the force that show emotional instability should not be given the responsibility of bearing arms or even being in the force. Members of the public through the different institutions should be discouraged from violence and crime. Parents’ schools and other influential institutions should be involved in discouraging the vice. Strict laws on unlawful possession on firearms should be enacted to discourage the unlawful purchase and possession of firearms. Idle youth should be urged to take on activities that will keep the minds busy. The youth should be persuaded to take up hobbies like sports or art in order for them to utilize their time well. Jobs should also be created for the young people to persuade them against partaking crime or joining criminal gangs (Wakefield & Fleming, 2009, P. 202) List of references Button, M. (2003) Private Policing, Cullompton: Willan. Home Office (2005) Building Communities, Beating Crime, London: HMSO. Leishman, F. Loveday, B. and Savage, S. (eds) (2000) Core Issues in Policing. Harlow: Longman. Maguire, M, Morgan R. & Reiner, R. (eds) (2007) Oxford Handbook of Criminology. 4th edn.Oxford: Oxford University Press. Mawby, R. C. (2002) Policing Image, Cullompton: Willan. McLaughlin, E. (2007) The New Policing. London: Sage. Newburn, T. (ed) (2004) Policing: Key Readings. Cullompton: Willan Publishing. Newburn, T. (ed) (2008) Handbook Of Policing. 2nd edn.Cullompton: Willan Publishing(very comprehensive, authoritative and up to date coverage of most aspects of contemporary policing – highly recommended) Reiner, R. (2010) The Politics of the Police.4th edn. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Wakefield, A. and Fleming, J. (eds) (2009) The Sage Dictionary of Policing London: Sage. Read More