Two out of three police want access to handguns

‘From nought to SWAT’

NEARLY two-thirds of rankand-file police officers in Scotland are calling for access to handguns.

A survey by the Scottish Police Federation (SPF) found 64 per cent back the move.

The SPF represents 98 per cent of all officers in Scotland – in the ranks of constable, sergeant, inspector and chief inspector, as well as police cadets and special constables.

The organisation, which has previously warned that Scotland is ‘woefully under-equipped’ for a major act of terror, said many officers felt ‘vulnerable and ill-equipped’.

Around 12 per cent of the workforce said they believed their existNorway ing personal protective equipment (PPE) to be ‘ineffective’.

The SPF said it wanted the findings to ‘shape’ policy, amid reports that in some cases unarmed officers are being deployed to confront criminals carrying knives or guns.

At its conference in spring, the SPF debated officers’ protection and a more detailed membership study on the issue was authorised.

The research, published yesterday, stated that the issue of handguns was ‘the most controversial’ of the options looked at by the study.

Across the force, 64 per cent of officers said they would like to have access to handguns, and 77 per cent said they would be willing to be trained in their use.

The report said: ‘When asked whether officers would be prepared to be trained in and use a handgun if required (as opposed to routinely being armed), 77 per cent said they would. This is the model adopted in where handguns are secured in vehicles but can be quickly accessed by any trained officer according to the threat faced.’

The survey also found ‘significant under-recording of violence against officers’, with just over half (51 per cent) admitting they do not report all acts of violence against them.

It also looked at the effectiveness of other PPE equipment, such as handcuffs, leg restraints, body armour and batons. Across all types of equipment, around 12 per cent of respondents said they found them to be ineffective.

SPF vice-chairman David Hamilton said: ‘Stretched budgets, low resource levels and an increased threat from criminality and terrorism is making our officers feel vulnerable and ill-equipped to keep people safe.

‘While we have some of the best specialist firearms resources in the world, it is the officers responding to day-to-day calls that are at the greatest risk from spontaneous violence.

‘There is nothing in between – we go from nought to SWAT, a situation that must change.’

The survey was open to all Police Scotland officers. Some 4,260 responses were collated, representing 24 per cent of potential respondents.

Assistant Chief Constable Bernard Higgins said: ‘The safety of our officers is paramount and they all undergo regular officer safety training, while we regularly review the equipment provided to them to ensure it is appropriate.’

A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘Police Scotland continues to be an unarmed service but with an appropriate armed capability, which it reviews regularly.’