Armed Police
The police in the United Kingdom are routinely unarmed, whereas in North America and most European countries – as elsewhere – policemen are routinely armed. In countries such as the United States, police arms are commonly cited as links to abuse of power e.g. victimisation of certain ethnic communities, and so there are sometimes calls for a reduction in police reliance on firepower. There are also calls, however, for extending their presence, e.g. using armed air marshals: this is essentially a different debate involving air safety issues etc., although many of the points below may still have some relevance.
Pros
Routinely arming the police is an effective deterrent to criminal behaviour; most countries in Europe and North America routinely arm police officers, in part to deter criminal acts. Armed criminals operate in at least some areas in almost every jurisdiction. Given this, a failure to routinely arm the police gives armed criminals a strong advantage in terms of their ability to threaten and commit violence without any corresponding risk to themselves.
The old-fashioned notions of friendly neighbourhood light policing reflected the aspirations of a different age. As armed violence has increased sharply in parts of the developed world, the police need to redefine their role so that it is a more appropriate response to contemporary problems. There is also a network effect involved in being a state with unarmed police when others have them. The nation may be seen as a “soft touch” compared to other regional nations. This can effectively encourage an importation of criminality.
Routinely armed police reassure law-abiding citizens at a time when gun-related crime is increasing in most European countries and parts of North America. Much public opinion holds that something must be done to tackle this.
People may feel safer when they see armed police, especially if they perceive them as a response to a heightened risk. Thus, for example, police officers at British airports routinely carry sub-machine guns, although there is no evidential pattern to suggest that this high-visibility weaponry offers any situational strategic advantage over a more subtle arming.
Cons
Routinely arming the police causes a spiral of violence. Where the police are not routinely armed, a proportion of criminals will not arm themselves (since, for example, armed robbery often carries a higher sentence than robbery). Once the police are armed, criminals who do not match their capability operate under a strong disadvantage. Therefore, when the police become routinely armed, the criminal world fully arms itself in response.
The mere fact of increased weapons possession (by both police and criminals) will in itself result in higher use, since in circumstances where arms may not be currently used (e.g. a police chase), either side carrying weapons will mean that they consider a shooting option which they did not formerly possess. This effectively reduces the options currently available, for example the police are less likely to use less harmful alternatives such as “stun guns”, CS spray, negotiation, etc.