just had a thought whilst posting elsewhere, that there seems to be less shootings and gun related incidents here, than in manchester where i worked and was from before.

so, question: do armed police officers really have an impact on criminals using firearms? and do you feel safer for it?

Armed police over here certainly have an effect on me

Sorry Mr MMC

steady, what is it with girls and weapons?

I wasn't planning on robbing a bank or mugging a granny anyway, so it makes no difference to me....

Not having much contact with the police I still find it a shock to see a side arm on them strolling around the mall, or a shotgun in the passenger side of a cruiser. I cant say that makes me feel any safer.

I find it more of a shock when I see Mall security guards with guns

I don't know if it makes me feel safer or not. I'm just used to the idea of cops carrying guns.

I've met lots of people with guns; civilian cops, MPs, soldiers, cops that are in the reserves.... None of them has yet tried to kill me, or shown any indication that they are thinking about it.

ok, so would it be a case then of the bad guys not wanting a tear up so much if they know wilbur is around the corner with a 12 guage automatic.

Joking aside I'm not sure if its the weapons as such that make the difference, and Rae being in the force have you noticed the difference between the tolerance levels of UK /Canadian forces.

My view here is that a local Canadian bobby (do you get called that???) can clip some mouthy kid quite hard around the ear (not that that happens often if at all) in these parts and is thanked for it - old style policing if you will.

There's a huge amount of respect for the RCMP here (even though the young bored teenagers are addicted to crack and set fire to things) whether they carry guns or not. So personally I don't think it makes a difference, its the strong arm, no messing right from the off style that wins over I think.

Not sure about feeling safer - but the first time we got off the plane in Vancouver, my daughter saw 4 RCMP and said at the top of her voice look dad they've got guns like yours.
suddenly i had 4 set's of eyes staring at me whilst i explained about my having a shotgun/rifles at home.

felt quite scary at the time

i get called everything but a 'bobby' i'm afraid, and have been told to "***** off back to australia" several times, which is quite amusing.

tolerance levels seem the same, i have not heard/noticed any of my colleagues going over the top, which in my opinion is how it should be. they are instead, less friendly and normal, they adopt a very authoritarian approach, speaking strictly in a robotic monotone.

hhmmm. do not wish to be feared, but instead seen as someone to be approached as the need arises for help and advice. perhaps this is what firearms does for you and why they like them over here as they do not know how to communicate, because they do not feel they have to.

Didn't Dixon of Dock Green get killed in the original movie?

Blimey thats going back a bit - didn't he get kicked to death by Muffin the mule

I am 51 years old and had never been near a police car in Wales for anything else than to talk to friends and family who are in the force.

I had been in Canada 4 months and I end up in the back of a RCMP car (they are not comfortable I tell you). My OH is a truck driver and on the road for 10/11 days at a time, therefore when he gets home he likes to go out and unwind (polite way of saying get pissed). I on this occassion am the designated driver and get to ferry a few friends around the village.

It was 11:30pm, minus 34 and more like minus 54 the windchill, I gets stopped in our village by 2 RCMP vehicles. I had pulled into our friends drive where one cop proceeded to block me in the drive with his full lights blazing. I was petrified, I knew I hadn't been drinking but everyone else in the van had so you can imagine the comments. I was asked for my license and if I had it on me at that time would probably be let go ,but stupid me had left my purse with my license in at home. At this point the cop asked me politely to get in the back of his car, mind my head etc etc. on the radio he confirmed my details and let me out of the back. By now I was shaking like a leaf, he kept asking me if I was alright but all I wanted to do was get out of the wind.

But I agree it is more like old style Policing as I remember growing up - the cop waves to me now cos he sees my Welsh Dragon on the front of my Van

No wonder the Welsh dragon is almost extinct if you had a collision with one.