The police are charged with the huge responsibility of keeping the public in England and Wales safe. Sometimes, there is a huge threat to lives and the police are expected to deal with this. However, an officer cannot be reasonably expected to tackle a criminal armed with a gun, with just a baton and pepper spray at his or her disposal. The police use of firearms is a controversial issue but in such cases, absolutely necessary if the police are to fulfil their obligations to the public.
The police use of firearms is not left to chance; not just any police officer can be let loose with a firearm. Guns kill and the police are very aware of this. Only special firearms officers are able to use a loaded weapon to treat a difficult situation. They are trained to an incredibly high standard and their use of weapons is kept to a minimum.
The police rarely use their weapons to resolve a situation. The level of training given to firearms officers means that the police use of firearms is strictly limited. They are so well trained that they are able to diffuse a situation without the use of any lethal force. This is testament to their exceptional level of professionalism.
In addition to the police use of firearms, non lethal weapons are used to ensure that a dangerous situation can be calmed down to a safe level. Taser guns are a device that can render somebody unconscious and unable to pose a threat only without any lethal force. This makes a huge difference and avoids killing a member of the public. Despite the odd anomaly, taser guns are safe to use and generally don't cause any harm to the suspect. This is a great way of protecting the public and police officers can be trained to use a taser in an effective and safe way.
The number of armed police officers is on the rise due to the constantly high threat from terrorism and the higher availability of guns on the streets. Gangs can be dangerous and armed and thus the police use of firearms has to rise in accordance with this threat to the safety of our communities. We cannot accept death dealt out by criminals and thus the police need the power to tackle this increasing type of crime. Police powers have been altered as well to give greater powers to armed police; this includes the right to shoot dead anyone known to be in the act of suicide bombing.
The streets of England and Wales are getting dangerous but not if the police have anything to say about it. The police use of firearms is actually a lot rarer than anyone might imagine and the number of cases where lethal force is required is very, very low indeed. However, when the situation is right, the use of greater than normal force is absolutely necessary. Gangs cannot run the community and thus the law abiding citizens need the police use of firearms to keep them safe. In all cases, it can easily be considered a life and death situation.
To return to the list of articles click here: police information
