Is it time to consider disarming American police ?

[eppur_se_muova]

Among British police forces, handguns are the exception, not the rule, and recent changes in that policy have sparked controversy. Why did the US not follow the British lead in this ? Given the frequency with which civilians are gunned down by US police while engaging in no dangerous or criminal behavior whatever, I wouldn't want to see most of them carrying even muzzle-loading flintlocks, much less a modern pistol.

[safeinOhio]

1. I wouldn't mind seeing this.

Officer gets 3 citizen complaints in one year, they lose there weapon for one year.

That might fly.

[marble falls]

2. Past time by fifty years.

[JEB]

3. Disarm and defund.

[ZombieHorde]

4. Sounds good to me. nt

[Rex]

5. No but it is time to demilitarize all police force units. They are officers of the peace.

They have the DHS, FBI, DEA, ATF to count on for para-military needs. I am not for turning cops into soldiers or marines.

[Unvanguard]

6. The UK also has a lot less gun crime than the US.

I'd be ok with that coupled with a general reduction in gun ownership and a strengthening of gun control regulations, but we all know how likely that is.

[LuvNewcastle]

7. Maybe they could issue them

ome bullet and make them keep it in their shirt pocket. Seriously, though, that can't happen as long as guns are so easily issued to everyone else. People would treat all cops like mall cops.

[Hoyt]

8. For it, but I think you gotta disarm/restrict citizenry too.

[mwrguy]

12. Absolutely.

[obxhead]

9. Snub nose .38 revolver.

Make that the biggest baddest firearm an officer can carry. Personally I think they would be best suited with .22 pistols.

First, they will become better shots.

Second, they will think twice before they squeeze off the first round.

[safeinOhio]

10. Good idea//n/t

[catbyte]

11. They are out of control. My late dad was a cop for 30 years & he would be horrified.

There seems to be an epidemic of cops gunning down unarmed people and also innocent dogs. Now, I'm not putting them on the same level, of course, but the dog shootings upsets me too.

[Alkene]

13. I'm gonna go in the other direction...

and recommend maximum destructive capability per unit officer by requiring small tactical nuclear bomb backpacks, which- as the only weapon allowed- are to be detonated in the event of required management of the citizenry...and their pets.

I mean if you're really committed to murdering members of the civilian class, you should be willing to make that sacrifice. Right?

[PowerToThePeople]

14. Ban all Guns!! n/t

[NutmegYankee]

17. How would you do that without militarized police?

People aren't going to turn them in. There was a 50% noncompliance rate with the laws passed in Conn requiring just registration of assault weapons and magazines, a rate so high the state just threw it's arms up and gave up on trying to deal with it.

[One_Life_To_Give]

15. NYPD didn't have guns for decades

NYPD didn't start carrying guns till 1887. Havn't found the details of why but the history of the preceding years would be enlightening.

On edit 1887 is also when "Buffalo Bill" brought his Wild West Show to New York. Perhaps just coincidence?

I know it's the Post but a description of policing from 1850 NY

http://nypost.com/2012/02/26/nypd-work-in-1850/

[eppur_se_muova]

16. Interesting, thanks. I wouldn't be at all surprised if the marketing of the Colt revolver ...

had a lot to do with it. Of course, we were a frontier society for a long time, and every frontier household armed itself against native tribes and their European allies, so maybe it was inevitable that police in Western states, at least, would be armed. Too bad the idea took hold so strong in the East as well, and no one's tried to rethink the situation as society has evolved beyond the need for constant armed vigilance.

To be fair, it should be noted that the British are unique in Europe. All other police forces are armed. It probably depends in part on whether the police in recent history have been a force for keeping the rulers in power, or a force for civil order (not usually the same thing). When the police are an offshoot of the military, it's usually the former; we seem to be heading in that direction against out own history.