There’s so much that could go wrong if we arm cops
It’s not the Kiwi way, is it? Think hard about this, please folks. Do we really want our police officers to be routinely carrying firearms?
No I don’t. Not now. And not in the foreseeable future.
It’s easy to say yes if you ignore the consequences of such an action.
Images of Christchurch police with guns on hips ready and waiting for action. What could possibly go wrong?
Cue everything.
This wasn’t some kind of special community policing, this was as much about sending a message from the force, show yourself, hand yourself in or we’ll not hesitate to shoot you.
Pop pop . . . pop pop. It’s over. The incident. And a life. Maybe two.
It’s an intimidating message and, without being in their shoes, it appeared over the top, heavyhanded and, in their move to intimidate the offender, they no doubt scared the kids and frightened the horses.
This was a conscious decision and I wonder if the NZ Police were sending another message to the Government to change the gun policy within the force and put guns on hips.
Was it the cops crying out to be heard, or a crafty subliminal message designed to stimulate debate? Am I overthinking this?
Truth is we have our eloquent solution – it’s not broken and we still have flexibility as you’ve seen from the young keen guns in Christchurch.
Our cops have access to two firearms in each car. A pistol is a metre and two seconds away, and the big rifle is in the boot.
No officer needs special permission to use them. Officers use their discretion. It’s the only way this policy can work.
Gun needed? Grab it. National made sure of that when they sent the loot over from ‘‘Minister Pistol’’, Judith Collins.
I believe our force shows huge respect towards firearms. If we tool up with guns on hips, we are inviting not just trouble but total carnage.
I don’t believe we will be safer. More guns means more social decay, more shootings, more dead.
The social cost is awful. Think America. How is that looking?
Make this change at our peril and with our eyes wide open.
I urge our decision-makers not to over-respond with kneejerk headline-grabbing policy changes.
The Kiwi way of life may be the naive way, but can we cling to this for another decade or so longer. Please.
I know we don’t live in benign times but the blue brigade turning up pointing guns is hardly going to be helpful in reducing harm.
The highway to hell is not a route crowded with drug kingpins and decency, and I don’t want us to go down it. Take the high road and stay on it. Let’s police in a smart fashion, like I think we largely do.
Negotiate, talk, smile and isolate. Isolate the offender, treat him like he treats you and be on watch.
Some people have a death wish in hell alongside life’s true scum; clowns like William Bell and Graeme Burton come to mind.
Sure, some cops will be rotten eggs and not everything is a police 10/7 warm fuzzy moment, but given the circumstances we look OK.
Our real problem is how many guns are in New Zealand?
That we have no idea and no system other than a gun licence regime is shabby and dangerous. Time for an amnesty.
The gangs and their rival gangs are in this together largely: working together to become rich by throwing meth at our streets in record quantities.
The guns are for anyone who gets in the way.
If we tool up with guns on hips, we are inviting not just trouble but total carnage. I don’t believe we will be safer. Think America. How is that looking?