Britsh Gun Laws

[GrovnSurfr]

Why aren't police allowed to carry guns in Britain?

[incitatus]

Traditionally they haven't needed to. There are far fewer guns available in the UK compared with, say, the US (where they hand them out free with breakfast cereals, it seems), and so till recently they were not really needed. There has always been an armed division of the police that can be called when needed. And given the number of harmless people/loonies/passers-by they seem able to gun down in a year it's probably for the best that we don't issue them generally.

[allen ives]

Precisely as old inkie puts it. And of course they ARE allowed to carry guns as soon as someone shouts 'look out he's carrying a chair leg', and quite routinely at 'sensitive' locations, such as Heathrow airport, where they patrol with semi-automatic rifles over their shoulders.