This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/sep/19/police-shootings-nick-clegg-arming-officers
The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Police shootings: Nick Clegg cautions against arming officers | Police shootings: Nick Clegg cautions against arming officers |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| Nick Clegg, the deputy prime minister, has warned against routinely arming police officers following the killing of two female constables in Greater Manchester, saying such a move would be a big change in policing culture that would bring with it considerable risks. | Nick Clegg, the deputy prime minister, has warned against routinely arming police officers following the killing of two female constables in Greater Manchester, saying such a move would be a big change in policing culture that would bring with it considerable risks. |
| Speaking a day after unarmed PCs Fiona Bone and Nicola Hughes died after attending a supposedly routine incident, the Liberal Democrat leader echoed the voices of senior police chiefs when he said that arming officers "to the teeth" risked changing the status of the police in society. | Speaking a day after unarmed PCs Fiona Bone and Nicola Hughes died after attending a supposedly routine incident, the Liberal Democrat leader echoed the voices of senior police chiefs when he said that arming officers "to the teeth" risked changing the status of the police in society. |
| "I don't think this is the time to rush to instant judgments; this really is a time for mourning and support, of course, for the family and friends of the two women who have been killed," he said. | "I don't think this is the time to rush to instant judgments; this really is a time for mourning and support, of course, for the family and friends of the two women who have been killed," he said. |
| "We have a long tradition in this country, which is a great tradition, of policing in the community, of the police being part of the public and the public supporting and giving their consent to the police. | "We have a long tradition in this country, which is a great tradition, of policing in the community, of the police being part of the public and the public supporting and giving their consent to the police. |
| "I think if we were, in an instant to, in a sense, arm our police to the teeth so they become separate from the public, that would be quite a big change, which would have considerable risks attached to it." | "I think if we were, in an instant to, in a sense, arm our police to the teeth so they become separate from the public, that would be quite a big change, which would have considerable risks attached to it." |
| The attack on the two policewomen has caused intense debate about safety, with relatives of previous victims of gun crime calling for more officers to be armed. | The attack on the two policewomen has caused intense debate about safety, with relatives of previous victims of gun crime calling for more officers to be armed. |
| But the president of the Association of Chief Police Officers, Sir Hugh Orde, has backed Sir Peter Fahy, the chief constable of Greater Manchester police, in speaking against officers routinely being armed. | But the president of the Association of Chief Police Officers, Sir Hugh Orde, has backed Sir Peter Fahy, the chief constable of Greater Manchester police, in speaking against officers routinely being armed. |
| Orde said: "Guns don't necessarily solve the problem. You only have to look at the American experience. Many colleagues in America are lost without even drawing their gun at close range." | Orde said: "Guns don't necessarily solve the problem. You only have to look at the American experience. Many colleagues in America are lost without even drawing their gun at close range." |
| Orde added that it was the "clear view of the British police service from top to bottom" that officers prefer to be unarmed because the public dislike approaching constables bearing weapons. | Orde added that it was the "clear view of the British police service from top to bottom" that officers prefer to be unarmed because the public dislike approaching constables bearing weapons. |
| He said minimum use of force and intervention was the "bedrock" of Britain's policing model. | He said minimum use of force and intervention was the "bedrock" of Britain's policing model. |
| He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that policing was "a risk business", adding: "As we speak, officers will be responding to calls not knowing what they will get to and not knowing exactly what they will be dealing with when they arrive. It's just a harsh fact of policing and, tragically on occasions, things go horribly wrong." | He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that policing was "a risk business", adding: "As we speak, officers will be responding to calls not knowing what they will get to and not knowing exactly what they will be dealing with when they arrive. It's just a harsh fact of policing and, tragically on occasions, things go horribly wrong." |
| The opposition is in part philosophical. A regularly armed force is seen as jarring with the British model that officers police by consent and are citizens in uniform. | The opposition is in part philosophical. A regularly armed force is seen as jarring with the British model that officers police by consent and are citizens in uniform. |
| Fahy expressed a similar opinion soon after the shooting: "We are passionate that the British style of policing is routinely unarmed policing. Sadly, we know from the experience in America and other countries that having armed officers certainly does not mean they do not end up getting shot dead." | Fahy expressed a similar opinion soon after the shooting: "We are passionate that the British style of policing is routinely unarmed policing. Sadly, we know from the experience in America and other countries that having armed officers certainly does not mean they do not end up getting shot dead." |
| But for some this is not enough. Darren Rathband, the twin brother of PC David Rathband who killed himself 18 months after being blinded by gunman Raoul Moat in July 2010, called on Tuesday for officers to be routinely armed. Rathband, a former Staffordshire police officer now serving in Australia, said: "It beggars belief. How many officers need to die before the powers realise that it is the 21st century and you cannot fight crime with an outdated piece of plastic and a bit of spray? No job is a routine job and there is always the potential for conflict. We don't go on jobs where people are happy to see us. I am angry some other families have now lost a daughter, sister, mother or wife and it makes me angry that the thin blue line is getting thinner and thinner." | But for some this is not enough. Darren Rathband, the twin brother of PC David Rathband who killed himself 18 months after being blinded by gunman Raoul Moat in July 2010, called on Tuesday for officers to be routinely armed. Rathband, a former Staffordshire police officer now serving in Australia, said: "It beggars belief. How many officers need to die before the powers realise that it is the 21st century and you cannot fight crime with an outdated piece of plastic and a bit of spray? No job is a routine job and there is always the potential for conflict. We don't go on jobs where people are happy to see us. I am angry some other families have now lost a daughter, sister, mother or wife and it makes me angry that the thin blue line is getting thinner and thinner." |
| Paul Beshenivsky, the widower of murdered police constable Sharon Beshenivsky, who died in service in 2005, told ITV news the latest killings should "open the public's eyes" and reopen the debate about arming officers. | Paul Beshenivsky, the widower of murdered police constable Sharon Beshenivsky, who died in service in 2005, told ITV news the latest killings should "open the public's eyes" and reopen the debate about arming officers. |
| He said: "I think policing, as regarding going to scenes of crimes, should be monitored better, and I think police, in honesty, should be armed, walking into situations that they're not totally aware of." | He said: "I think policing, as regarding going to scenes of crimes, should be monitored better, and I think police, in honesty, should be armed, walking into situations that they're not totally aware of." |
| Speaking at a central London youth club, Clegg warned against rushing to judge. "I think it is the kind of thing that you need to look at very carefully and certainly not, even though I know emotions are running high, in an instant way after this terrible, terrible tragedy," he said. | Speaking at a central London youth club, Clegg warned against rushing to judge. "I think it is the kind of thing that you need to look at very carefully and certainly not, even though I know emotions are running high, in an instant way after this terrible, terrible tragedy," he said. |
| The Manchester deaths take the number of officers killed this year after a firearms incident to three. PC Ian Dibell was killed by a single bullet wound to the chest after intervening in a dispute while off duty. The incident happened in July in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex. The suspected gunman, Peter Reeve, was found dead the next day with a gun. | The Manchester deaths take the number of officers killed this year after a firearms incident to three. PC Ian Dibell was killed by a single bullet wound to the chest after intervening in a dispute while off duty. The incident happened in July in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex. The suspected gunman, Peter Reeve, was found dead the next day with a gun. |
| With the exception of Northern Ireland, officers in the UK are not routinely armed. They have to volunteer to carry weapons, and undergo rigorous training and assessment to ensure they are fit to do so. | With the exception of Northern Ireland, officers in the UK are not routinely armed. They have to volunteer to carry weapons, and undergo rigorous training and assessment to ensure they are fit to do so. |
| According to the latest figures, a total of 6,653 officers were authorised to carry weapons in 2010-11, a decrease of 326 (5%) on the previous year. There are around 140,000 officers in England and Wales. | According to the latest figures, a total of 6,653 officers were authorised to carry weapons in 2010-11, a decrease of 326 (5%) on the previous year. There are around 140,000 officers in England and Wales. |
| Specialist firearms officers are available to be deployed, as are armed response vehicles. | Specialist firearms officers are available to be deployed, as are armed response vehicles. |
| Police favour the increased issue of stun guns that fire a powerful electric current. Officers are issued with protective vests that stop knives and offer limited protection against low-velocity bullets. More extensive protection against bullets would prove too heavy to wear for a full shift. | Police favour the increased issue of stun guns that fire a powerful electric current. Officers are issued with protective vests that stop knives and offer limited protection against low-velocity bullets. More extensive protection against bullets would prove too heavy to wear for a full shift. |
| Greater Manchester police is under investigation over the shooting dead in March of Anthony Grainger, who was unarmed, according to the Independent Police Complaints Commission. | Greater Manchester police is under investigation over the shooting dead in March of Anthony Grainger, who was unarmed, according to the Independent Police Complaints Commission. |
| The reaction to the deaths of Bone and Hughes shows there is still shock attached to the murder of police officers in the line of duty. Guns remain rare on Britain's streets. | The reaction to the deaths of Bone and Hughes shows there is still shock attached to the murder of police officers in the line of duty. Guns remain rare on Britain's streets. |
| Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. | |
| Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. Enter your email address to subscribe. |