Call To Arm The Police

Today in the news once again there are calls to routinely arm Britain's police.

A report on the BBC website titled police surveyed on carrying guns states that every police officer in England and Wales is to be asked whether they think they should carry guns. The Police Federation survey of all 140,000 officers follows the shooting of Pc Sharon Beshenivsky in Bradford last month.

But Lord Brian Mackenzie, former president of the Superintendents' Association of England and Wales is against the idea. Citing time spent with the American FBI, he said officers often were shot with their own weapons by attackers.

Further reports today include

Police face poll on carrying firearms
Police questioned over carrying arms