That is a a very interesting experience. Talk about deja vu. I have seen handguns on police since I can remember here in the U.S. Yet, it REALLY surprised me when in the 80s I went to Germany (as well as a few other countries) and there were armed police on airport roofs. Now that was scary! I had never seen that before. It was also very intimidating to be stopped by police for any reason. Here we have a reasonable expectation of fair and respectful treatment - not the case everywhere else.


>Personally, I'm fascinated to see hardware on a cop. I remember the first time I ever went to France and saw a cop with a sidearm - the first I'd ever seen. It was a weird feeling like "we're not in Kansas any more" (Yeah I know they wear them in Kansas!). Over the last few years the airport cops have been carrying them as routine - a sidearm and a heckler-Kosche semi hanging round the neck, which I find really intimidating, but you only see that once or twice a year. Then they've been wearing flak jackets for a few years, and utility belts with US style batons or telescopic metal "asps" and pepper sprays. The only thing recognisable of the old British Bobby now is the daft but quaint helmet.
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>Before all this all they had was a truncheon, which you never saw, cos it went down a special pocket, down the side of the leg, accessible from the trouser pocket. Their main weapon was "'Allo-'allo-'allo. What's all this then?" or "Come along now, lad. Let's not be silly" :-)
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>If there was any doubt that we now live in a more violent world ...
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>>I don't get it. Are the criminals just nicer over there? If the cops didn't carry guns over here, there would be a big shortage of cops.
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>>>the UK and irish police forces are very similar, both do not, as a matter of course, carry guns but do have special sections, the special branch, anti terrorist units, that do. most if not all of the hard core criminals do carry guns but shootings are rare and at least in ireland if the special branch are called in they are in trouble as over here our top police train with the special ops in the army, so they are going to win every time.