Why do the British police, even detectives, still not carry sidearms?
In the UK the philosophy is that the public consent to being policed, so there is a different emphasis, away from coercion and force and more to service. It is this which underpins the relationship between the public and the Police.A Police Officer is seen as a member of the community serving their interests rather than an imposed force. It is thought that police officers routinely being armed will erode this ethos and be a barrier between them and the public.It is also the case that there is not a gun culture in the UK so it is relatively rare for criminals to use firearms. If the Police were to have guns then there is a fear that this would create somewhat of an arms race with criminals choosing to take extra firepower out with them. There is also the danger of negligent discharges and a temptation to use the lethal option of a firearm when perhaps other methods may be more appropriate.As a consequence British Police officers must rely heavily on careful planning, interpersonal skills and the use of non lethal methods such as tazers and gas to deal with criminals.That said there is an increasing body of opinion which supports arming of the British Police particularly in the light of the well reported terrorist attacks. Surveys are showing more officers are wishing to be armed and a full survey is being carried out shortly to establish the current thinking.Ultimately there is a balance to be struck and whilst the day when UK Officers are all armed, may be approaching, it will be a sad reflection on what our society has become if we lose that relationship which has stood out across the world as a Policing model to aspire to.
How do people have access to firearms in the UK legally?
Question: “How do people have access to firearms in the UK legally?”Answer: They can go to a shooting club and shoot there without having a licence, or owning a gun, they can shoot with friends/family that have a licence and then if they decide they like shooting they can then apply for the relevant licence. Which will be either a Section 2 FAC(Firearm Certificate) - also known as an SGC (Shotgun Certificate), if they want a shotgun. They can be semi auto, and pump action, but can’t hold more than 3 shots(2+1, 2 in the magazine, 1 in the chamber). Or they apply for a Section 1 FAC, if they want a firearm with a rifled barrel, or a shotgun capable of holding more than 3 shots. Centrefire rifles can’t be semi automatic, where as rimfire can, but only in .22(.22lr, .22 WinMag). Various pistols can be owned on Sec1 as well.Sec 7.3 is for pistols that can’t be owned on Sec 1 - such as semi auto centrefire pistols etc, and have to be kept at a Home Office approved Sec 7 range. Sec 7.3 only applies to the mainland, as Northern Ireland didn’t implement the 1997 ammendments to the 1968 firearm act. So all pistols there are still covered by the same firearm certificate there(The Northern Ireland system has ALL guns on the same type of firearm licence, even air guns).The easiest route to take if you don’t own land suitable for shooting on, or don’t know anyone that does and has given you permission, is to join a gun club. The rules vary from club to club, but most have probation periods which vary in length from club to club. They will then, once you have passed probation, help you to fill in your application, and get your FAC.My advice is to use google and find several gun clubs near to you, and check out their websites/facebook pages etc, chat with the members then call them, and see which one suits your needs. Not all clubs do the same thing, some only shoot small bore, others do both small bore, and fullbore. Some do pistol shooting, others don’t, some do airguns as well, others don’t. So look around and see which one suits you, then go from there.
Should the British have the right to carry firearms in self defence like the Americans who have that right? I think Britain would be better off.
Should the British have the right to carry firearms in self defence like the Americans who have that right? I think Britain would be better off.Hi I’m a Brit so I thought I’d weigh in. Very unusually I love firearms. I love shooting, I love stripping and cleaning them, to be honest, I love everything about them. I’m an anomaly compared to my fellow countrymen in this regard. Most people over here view them as murder death kill machines and vehemently support the ban on firearms and many would like the law to be even stricter. I obviously don’t.So does that mean I support the introduction of a right to carry firearms as a self defence? No and not just no, hell no. You see we have a problem with stabbings over here and as violent and abhorrent as that behaviour is can you imagine the same thugs with easy access to guns?Well if you had a gun you could protect yourself.Yes I could, but I could also be facing off against a group of thugs with firearms; either way I lose. As a rule people don’t wave their knives in the air and signal their intention to stab you. The stabbings often occur in tight, dimly lit alleyways or stairways, basically really close quarters where a knife is actually more effective than a gun.Lets imagine for a second we legally allow concealed carry of firearms. All of a sudden those stabbings, that only harm one victim, now become shootings that can hurt the victim but also innocent bystanders. People can, potentially, out run an attacker with a knife, axe, machete or whatever melee weapon you care to mention but no-one can out sprint a bullet.I would love for you to tell me how this makes me safer.In the UK we have never had a culture of personal firearms ownership which is why creating a law now for Britons to conceal carry is dumb. There are very few shootings here and those that do happen make major news headlines so why flood the country with guns if there are very few here at present?This same reason is why it’s impossible to have our style of gun laws in the USA. There are simply too many firearms over there to try to disarm. Let’s face it the criminals aren’t going to get rid of their firearms, they’re mostly illegal anyway. So disarming honest citizens is taking away their ability to defend themselves. Whilst, conversely, in the UK allowing honest citizens to defend themselves, by allowing them access to firearms, actually increases the danger to us.
Why don't police officers in the UK have guns?
For the first 150 years or so of the U.K.'s current model of policing created by Sir Robert Peel, guns weren't needed. Private firearms ownership in the U.K. is relatively rare as compared to the U.S. Handgun ownership is very rare. Some people own shotguns or rifles for hunting, but they're generally kept at a hunt or gun club, not in private residences. Gun crimes were fairly rare.In the 1970s and 1980s, the U.K. experienced an increase in gun-related crimes and a general escalation of violence. They also had to deal with "The Troubles," e.g. guerrilla warfare fought by the Irish Republican Army and other terrorist organizations. This caused the U.K. police to rethink their position on deploying armed police officers. Experienced officers with good performance records are screened and selected for firearms training. The vetting and training process is considerably more rigorous than police in the U.S. receive, as is the ongoing training that firearms-qualified officers receive during the rest of their careers while in that assignment. Firearms-qualified officers do not normally carry their weapons at work, although those officers assigned to airports may be armed at all times with a fully-auto-capable rifle and handgun. Constables on regular patrol duties are assigned in pairs to armed response vehicles that carry the firearms and ammunition in a locked compartment. The firearms are deployed only on the order of a qualified commander, or on the constables' own initiative in very restricted circumstances. Although U.S. police can't imagine working unarmed, many (if not most) U.K. constables have no desire to carry firearms. I saw several interviews of U.K. constables in the 1980s, when the firearms-qualified constables were first deployed. Many regular constables said they would leave the police service if required to carry firearms. It's just contrary to the U.K. police custom and culture.
Is it true that criminals in the UK do not carry arms?
Generally speaking yes. Anecdotally; I had a friend that fancied himself a bit of a rebel. He sold weed to make quick cash, but was never a “high end” dealer - just enough to be known as the go-to guy locally for potheads. He certainly wasn’t a hardened criminal, but it would be reasonable to assume that he had a vested interest in protecting his product. If he were American, he might have bought himself a firearm to defend himself and his product against competitors, customers that refused to pay etc (even if he had no intention of using the weapon, he may have found the threat factor useful).Long story short: someone informed the police about his miniature weed farm at home. He was raided, the drugs were confiscated, along with a reasonable sum of cash.Because he wasn’t a drug kingpin, and because it was his first offence, he was let off lightly with community service and a criminal record - ie no time spent in prison. Had he bought an illegal gun, not only would he have faced a minimum of 5 years for illegal possession of a firearm, but his illicit business certainly would have been treated much more seriously.Summary: no gun = light sentencewith a gun = likely 7 years + in prison.It just isn’t worth owning a gun in the UK.
How do people in England hunt (excluding archery), if they can't have firearms?
They don’t hunt by shooting, in that way, to a significant degree.Hunting with firearms is permitted, because in the UK, that type of firearm is legal. It’s extremely carefully licensed, but not illegal.The main group of people who hunt are very rich people, because hunts are private affairs on private land. Typically it consists of shooting birds with shotguns (pheasants, etc). Hunting has been mainly the domain of the aristocracy and their rich friends for a very long time.Hunting with bows is illegal. Hunting on public land, in national parks, etc. is illegal.There is also some controlled shooting of the wild deer population. This isn’t hunting, it is culling, and it is done professionally, not as a sport. Typically this is done from a distance using an accurate bolt-action rifle fitted with a telescope. This is also how farmed deer meat is harvested.
UK Vs USA - What country is better?
You are talking through the wrong orifice. We do not have "free" health care. It is paid for out of our taxes and often people cannot get the proper treatment/drugs because the NHS can't afford certain treatments. There is NOT free travel country wide. It is only some local authorities who give free local travel to schoolkids. You certainly cannot get a train from London to Brighton for free. There is a lot of poverty in the UK. Try wandering around areas of London, Manchester, Glasgow in the evening and count the number of homeless people. Multicultural - define that one. Again, if you were to visit any of the major cities you can find areas which are more or less exclusively one race or another and in some cases are more or less no-go areas for anyone of another race. Atheist - total rubbish. Just yesterday I had people at my door preaching and there are often (daily) people standing on the pavements handing out leaflets or shouting their religious thoughts through megaphones. UK is a majority christian country with around 70% of the population defining themselves as such. Hardly a majority atheist is it? Violent crime has been rising year on year with gun and knife crime leading the way. Handguns are banned not all guns. It is very very easy to get hold of illegal firearms if you want to. Junk food. FFS, are you blind? You live in Brighton which of course does not have any Mcdonalds, BurgerKings, Kebab shops, pizza shops or anything similar does it. "hardly anyone eats it". RUBBISH, why do you think there are so many overweight/obese people in the UK and why do you think the UK government is constantly banging on about it!!! What do I think? I think you are a stupid little girl who has absolutely no idea what goes on in their own country.
Is there a greater frequency of stabbings in the UK than the US due to the fact that criminals in the UK have a more restricted access to firearms?
UKThere were 37,443 recorded knife offences and 6,694 recorded gun offences in the year up to September 2017. Note: Offences, not deaths.In 2016, there were 213 victims killed by knife or othe sharp instrument, accounting for over 1 in 3 (37%) homicides. (murder, manslaughter and infanticide)There were 26 homicide victims (5% of the total) killed by shooting.We don't read about many mass murders using a knife.If people had easier and more access to guns, I am sure that the rates might be lower for knives and higher for guns.In 2011 there were about 32,000 offences involving a knife or sharp instrument that were recorded by the police in the year ending September 2011.USAAccording to FBI data for 2016, 11,004 of the 15,070 murders in the United States were committed with firearmsAccording to FBI: UCR Table 12, there were 1,604 people killed with “knives or cutting instruments.”Note that the UK figures relate to Homicide, (Murder and Manslaughter) while the US figures relate to Murder.