Is it time to take guns away from the police?

[KL3-Something]

The Media cannot sesationalize the cops shooting someone untill the cops shoot someone, they don't dream it up.

Sometimes the cops have to shoot someone. But public perception of those situations where that has to occur are shaped by the media. And the media doesn't seem to be able to present unbiased reports anymore.

[Trigger69]

Sometimes the cops have to shoot someone. But public perception of those situations where that has to occur are shaped by the media. And the media doesn't seem to be able to present unbiased reports anymore.

What he or she said....

[FreeRights]

More often than not, when a suspect is shot by police, it was as a result of a legitimate, imminent threat of force. Taking firearms away from police would reduce the number of people that police kill, but it would increase the amount of police that criminals kill. Taking guns away from law enforcement will not result in the elimination of gun violence; rather, it would result in the control measure to gun violence.

[A_Britishcolumbian]

the whole 'transparency and accountability' issue is just as strong as the 'bad/sensationalized reporting issue' in my mind.

back to perception and respect, i think, if police were less armed, i believe rapport with and empathy for would improve, while acceptance and tolerance for armed criminals would diminish.

my memory is not what it used to be, but i have this one thought rattling around up there that says 'anyone that uses a firearm in the commission of a crime' gets you 4 years behind bars just for that, but i do not see this playing out in reality. is my memory that spiked with fantasy i cannot tell memories from dreams such as this?

i cannot help to think that a force without sidearms would be so much more approachable and as well focused on peaceful solutions and resolutions.

[baconbits]

Sometimes the cops have to shoot someone. But public perception of those situations where that has to occur are shaped by the media. And the media doesn't seem to be able to present unbiased reports anymore.

Of course cops have to dis-charge their weapons sometimes. But the rest of your comment I disagree with. The media does play a part, however in the world we live now with camera's everywhere many of these incidents are caught on tape and you see the evidence right in front of your own eyes, un-edited. If it wasn't for technology these days, how many police officers would not have been scrutinized over their actions. Or cleared of their actions for that matter.

[steven lloyd]

Sometimes the cops have to shoot someone. But public perception of those situations where that has to occur are shaped by the media.

I actually agree that sometimes the cops have to shoot someone. However, they now need to know that the public is going to demand more accountability, and in fairness, we are going to have to provide police with better training and better support in responding to dangerous situations. We can't educate the entire public. Too many of them are idiots. We can try and better train and educate our police though. We have to start holding them to a higher standard. I know a number of RCMP members who I regularly work with who would welcome this as they want to be able to feel the pride they did when joining the force.

[Trigger69]

I actually agree that sometimes the cops have to shoot someone. However, they now need to know that the public is going to demand more accountability, and in fairness, we are going to have to provide police with better training and better support in responding to dangerous situations. We can't educate the entire public. Too many of them are idiots. We can try and better train and educate our police though. We have to start holding them to a higher standard. I know a number of RCMP members who I regularly work with who would welcome this as they want to be able to feel the pride they did when joining the force.

I too know a number of members and they have expressed similar feelings to me as well. Very good point.

[Liquidnails]

What happened to good old fashioned policework... using smarts size and a baton to solve problems rather than guns. Now pretty much any loser is allowed to join the force.

[Rwede]

If someone is coming at me with a gun with intent to kill, and a cop happens by, I don't want him being an unarmed British bobby blowing a whistle and saying "You there with the gun, be a good lad now, would you, and don't shoot anyone." That would hardly be cricket.

[mexi cali]

SL wrote;

We can't educate the entire public. Too many of them are idiots. We can try and better train and educate our police though. We have to start holding them to a higher standard.

Very well stated.

Removing guns from police is impractical and ultimately would create more danger than it would remove.

There needs to be a return to the days when the first instinct is not to reach for the gun however as it seems to be today.

True, sometimes people need to be shot and when that happens, they are trained to shoot for the largest part of the target and not to merely incapacitate by way of a shoulder or leg shot. Too small of a target with inaccurate weapons.

There is an answer to this problem and more rigorous training and better hiring standards would definitely be a good start.

[hobbyguy]

Unfortunately, there are people out there who are really incorrigibly bad and violent. Doesn't matter what you do or how you treat them, their first resort is violence. I would not expect a police officer to be required to deal with such folks unless the officer has the fall back position of a firearm.

Perhaps in the British situation where only small caliber (.22 and under) long guns and shotguns can be licensed, there might be an argument for the cop "on the beat" not having a firearm. Certainly not here, especially with the relatively easy (for criminals) access to weapons from the US.

[underscore]

The Media cannot sesationalize the cops shooting someone untill the cops shoot someone, they don't dream it up.

But they sure do make it sound like they're running around gunning down everything that moves.

[Woodenhead]

The police themselves are on equal footing with the media, when it comes to bias.

[Donald G]

To A_Britishcombian ...

I note that you have moved away from blaming the RCMP for anything any police person did wrong across Canada and I congratulate you on that change in perspective. Are you now blaming the four police officers for "getting themselves" shot in Mayerthorpe?

I will however ask you to identify ONE instance where ANY police officer has shot anyone without justification and not been charged accordingly. After 13 tries you failed the last time. I offer you the same opportunity again.

If you are going to disarm all of the police, a move that will result in the death of any number of police officers and innocent citizens across Canada, you are going to have to support your, in my opinion, completely false allegation.

[Donald G]

Only the more irresponsible reporters or media publish emotionalized, highly distorted versions of violent incidents involving the police across Canada. If you check the on-line media across Canada you will find the such anti police 'reporting' is limited to sensationalizing tabloids and a few isolated mainstream newspapers in British Columbia.