As a rash of terror attacks continues to plague the United Kingdom, the mostly unarmed police are beginning to feel unprepared for the threats they face.
A survey conducted by the Police Federation of England and Wales found that over a third of the officers surveyed would prefer to be armed, compared to 23 percent in 2006. The Independent reports that UK police are especially interested in being trained to use firearms, even if they do not routinely carry them, so that they may be better prepared for emergencies.
“Let’s face facts, we live in dangerous times,” said Steve White, chair of the Police Federation. He expressed hope that the UK government would pay attention to the survey and be convinced to allow police “to not only keep themselves safe but help achieve their number-one priority in keeping the public safe.”
