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this was terrible i understand he left a wife and kids too.

If the policeman had been armed this would not have happened.
Personally I would be quite happy to see every police officer out on patrol carrying a gun - most of the villains already do.
I don't buy the civil liberties brigade crap that this would result in the mass slaughter of innocent civilians.
In practically every foreign country we visit on holiday the local coppers are routinely armed and nobody bats an eyelid so what's the big deal about it happening over here.

I agree with the argument made by Angus for arming police as well as the one made many times before for capital punishment but as an aside I think the time is upon us when our police wearing body armour becomes mandatory - I know its not infallible and we can only speculate about whether or not such protection would have saved DC Swindells life or not but in todays gun and knife ridden society it makes sense that the people who have to come into contact with these scum bags on a daily basis should be as protected as possible.

My thoughts and sympathy go out to his family and colleagues and, as his murderer cant be hung from the nearest lamp post, I hope they lock him up and throw away the key but I doubt it somehow.

Jason

my mates a bobby, he has said before he doesn't want to be armed and so do most of his colleagues, but then he doesn't have to work city centre birmingham, they may have a different attitude

I sympathise, but whatever obtains elsewhere, we (in theory, at least) have a CIVIL police, who police by public consent, and the overwhelming majority at every op-poll is against an armed force. We all saw the unfortunate results when Thatcher temporarily 'militarised' the police......and as said above, the majority of officers (the 'Rambo' fringe excepted) are against it.
I think this is a very healthy thing.
Arming the police merely escalates an 'arms-race' and ups the stakes in every criminal encounter. We need to make illegal firearms harder to obtain and import. Easier said than done, true, but the alternative is much worse.

I thought that the wearing of Kevlar-based armour was already recommended by the Chief Constables: but it does lead to a loss of mobility, and some officers apparently find it 'uncomfortable'.
It's a lot more uncomfortable, being stabbed...........

when my mate joined he showed all the protective gear they got and yes the stab vests are bloody heavy

If I had known your attitudes Angus I wouldn't have given you that Linda Hayden link.

Mart

I can't see a prob with CID being armed, as a matter of fact: it's just beat officers I prefer unarmed.