Armed police would be a terror victory

ARMING our police officers as a matter of routine would be a big step for this country.

We’ve never had this before.

The awful events on Westminster Bridge and at the Houses of Parliament last week have thrown this issue into the forefront of public attention.

But we cannot rush in to decisions like this. We should not be panicked.

Of course our police officers must be protected.

But the public don’t want them to tote guns on their hips every day.

Indeed, there will be many police officers who wouldn’t want to walk their beat with a firearm in their hand.

Perhaps, in certain cases and in certain places, they should be armed to meet potential threats.

But every officer? In every neighbourhood? All the time? It isn’t needed.

We don’t want all those guns in circulation – even in responsible hands.

Britain is not yet a country that is so lawless or so barbaric that we should meet our problems with bullets.

The definition of a terrorist is that they wish to spread terror. We can’t let that happen.

Making us change our society to become a place where guns are on every street would be a victory for the terrorists.