Home Office rejects calls for armed police
The home secretary today said he remained “sceptical” that arming all police officers would make Britain safer.
He was speaking in response to calls for all police officers to routinely carry firearms following the murder of policewoman Sharon Beshenivsky last Friday.
PC Beshenivsky was shot in the chest while attending an armed robbery at a travel agency in Bradford, and died at the scene.
Her colleague, PC Teresa Milburn, was also injured after a shot to the shoulder, but has since been released from hospital.
The shooting has reignited the debate about whether all police officers in Britain should routinely be armed, with some police campaigners warning the police service is “being outgunned”.
But Mr Clarke insisted that getting guns off the street altogether was a better strategy to allowing all police officers to carry guns.
“My main priority is to ensure that guns no longer have a place on our streets and that armed gangs who terrorise innocent people are brought to justice,” he said.
“I remain sceptical that arming all police officers all of the time would make them safer.”
His view was echoed by the Police Federation of England and Wales, who pointed out that police officers themselves were yet to be convinced of the need to constantly carry guns.
A spokeswoman told politics.co.uk: “The Police Federation are planning to re-survey its members, but back in May 2003, 78 per cent of officers polled claimed that despite being threatened by knives, guns and other weapons they would not wish to be routinely armed.”
She added, however, that the federation did believe more officers needed to be trained to carry firearms in order to be able to use such force if the need arose.
But police pressure group Protect the Protectors said the killing of Mrs Beshenivsky, 38, showed that the time was now needed for an “informed debate” about the extent to which police officers should be armed.
“The adage that if you arm the police more criminals will carry guns is nonsense. The police service is being outgunned on the streets of Britain day and night,” said chairman PC Norman Brennan.
“If police officers are to retain the highest confidence of the public and their own morale surely the time has come for them to be able to defend themselves and the British public with every means possible.”
