Two Police Officers Shot

[himerus]

Two police officers were shot and killed in Manchester yesterday. To shoot unarmed officers in cold blood seems a particularly despicable act.

[none of the above]

Whatever spangle put that creature out on bail needs a good kick up the arse... the bloke was a nutjob and needed removing from amongst society. Two young people just doing their job now dead, sad indeed...

[Winston Smith]

Cue kneejerk reactions of "we must arm the police" and "bring back the death penalty".

[himerus]

Cue kneejerk reactions of "we must arm the police" and "bring back the death penalty".

I am not in favour of the death penalty but it does stick in my throat to think that we will have to maintain the monster who did this in relative comfort for the rest of his life.

[C.G.]

The man who did it only has one eye. Thus making him even more evil.

[DanMc]

Cue kneejerk reactions of "we must arm the police" and "bring back the death penalty".

Indeed, most probably it wouldn't have helped if they had been armed and I suspect he was far too big a nutter to have been deterred by the death penalty.

[Winston Smith]

deterred by the death penalty.

People who argue for the death penalty don't do so because they want it is a deterrent...they want it because they would like to see some sort of medieval sense of "justice" done. If you bought back the death penalty tomorrow they would then say they want public executions. Before long you would have people being hanged, drawn and quartered or burned at the stake.

[DanMc]

One obvious question about arming the police, other that the increasing number of specially trained armed officers, is how would you do it? Do we want to see police on routine calls brandishing AK47s or US style cops with holsters ready to draw. Personally I hope we never see either on the streets of Britain.

[Winston Smith]

One obvious question about arming the police, other that the increasing number of specially trained armed officers, is how would you do it? Do we want to see police on routine calls brandishing AK47s or US style cops with holsters ready to draw. Personally I hope we never see either on the streets of Britain.

Quite. I don't even like it when I see armed police at UK airports.

[DanMc]

One obvious question about arming the police, other that the increasing number of specially trained armed officers, is how would you do it? Do we want to see police on routine calls brandishing AK47s or US style cops with holsters ready to draw. Personally I hope we never see either on the streets of Britain.

Quite. I don't even like it when I see armed police at UK airports.

I can't go into detail, but at a place I worked we had armed officers on site every month or two. I'm not sure exactly what they had, but they were AK47 type rifles. They seemed nice enough blokes and it was only a precaution, no shots were ever fired, but it was still very unnerving.

[Lucylastic]

I can't go into detail, but at a place I worked we had armed officers on site every month or two. I'm not sure exactly what they had, but they were AK47 type rifles. They seemed nice enough blokes and it was only a precaution, no shots were ever fired, but it was still very unnerving.

Heckler and Koch MP5s probably? They're sub-machine guns but the police version will only fire single shots.

[jinjin]

Pity. To shoot anyone is a despicable act. My town is holding a funeral for someone who survived a war only to get shot as a police officer on duty.

[Winston Smith]

My town is holding a funnel for someone who survived a war only to get shot as a police officer on duty.

Seems an odd way of remembering somebody who has been killed. But each to their own I guess.

[ZiaAries]

My town is holding a funnel for someone who survived a war only to get shot as a police officer on duty.

Seems an odd way of remembering somebody who has been killed. But each to their own I guess.

Funnel = Woodchipper . . .

[H. Franklin Layne]

deterred by the death penalty.

People who argue for the death penalty don't do so because they want it is a deterrent...they want it because they would like to see some sort of medieval sense of "justice" done. If you bought back the death penalty tomorrow they would then say they want public executions. Before long you would have people being hanged, drawn and quartered or burned at the stake.

It's been studied and shown to be ineffective as a deterrent over here, Winston. Thinking for it is something like this......death penalty should be used sparingly, for only the most abhorrent crimes. Don't send the message that "if you do this, we might kill you" because the criminal element will only bunker down and get more sly and slippery to avoid detection. If it is to be used, it should be done swiftly, and with a clear, no uncertain terms message...."if you do this, we WILL KILL YOU!" "We are not going to waste housing space, and taxpayer money feeding you, housing you, and making sure your rights are protected. The rights of the victim's family will be considered second to none." If you use it as a punishment, and not a deterrent, it tends to be more effective. That's why it's called a penalty. Raoul Moat is NOT worth keeping unarmed cops as shooting gallery targets. The t*** is dead, now prevent more cops, who are trying to keep you safe, from being needlessly killed.