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PorridgeGun

(80 posts)

11. We have ARU's (Armed Response Units) on regular patrol in most places now

Wed Sep 18, 2013, 04:32 AM

Sep 2013

The ARU cars stand out for being silver rather than white, and with black tinted windows. I live in a smallish town in semi-rural Hertfordshire and I see ours out every once in a while. They tend not to have much to do, though. And another commenter was right about most police not wanting guns. I dated a police sgt. for a while and when asked about it she said she didn't think they were necessary and didn't particularly want to shoot people anyway.

What you also might find interesting are the sort of guns available here. Most guns used in crime here are actually illegally converted starter pistols and other low powered, jury rigged junk - or perhaps a stolen side by side bird gun at best.

Also, the police here would never, ever get away with gunning innocent people down or using firearms overly aggressively in cases where they were clearly other alternatives. Both incidences in recent memory have resulted first in riots, and then long drawn out public inquiries into any police misconduct.

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I don't have to carry a gun. I live in the UK. [View all] sibelian Sep 2013 OP

paranoia is rampant in the "home of the brave" Skittles Sep 2013 #1

I think there's a genuine justification for the paranoia. sibelian Sep 2013 #3

but that is exactly what the NRA wants Skittles Sep 2013 #5

I don't know much about them sibelian Sep 2013 #6

Check for yourself and see what you think. BlueMTexpat Sep 2013 #21

Not really. Crime rates in the US have fallen precipitously NickB79 Sep 2013 #23

It's not just that others have guns. Lizzie Poppet Sep 2013 #44

What's more, your police don't have guns either. Gravitycollapse Sep 2013 #2

No, although some of them want them. sibelian Sep 2013 #4

It's not an unfair comparison. I do not give as much credit to the size of a nation as others do. Gravitycollapse Sep 2013 #7

'K. sibelian Sep 2013 #9

Tut, tut. Don't give away the scaling excuse. immoderate Sep 2013 #8

The last 2 were exactly a year ago today, in Manchester muriel_volestrangler Sep 2013 #42

Very sad. sibelian Sep 2013 #57

We have ARU's (Armed Response Units) on regular patrol in most places now PorridgeGun Sep 2013 #11

I don't have to carry a gun. I live in Vermont. I don't have to lock my house cali Sep 2013 #10

Then it's a little difficult to blame guns. sibelian Sep 2013 #12

Vermont is a rural place. just about the whole state cali Sep 2013 #15

How does that affect things? sibelian Sep 2013 #19

Vermont is a low violent crime state across the board cali Sep 2013 #35

That does somewhat spoil the story that guns are bad. sibelian Sep 2013 #38

Basically, there is no solid statistical correlation... Lizzie Poppet Sep 2013 #46

Sounds about the same as the neighbourhood my family moved to PorridgeGun Sep 2013 #13

I'm a little hesitant to ask... but... sibelian Sep 2013 #18

Moving to Calfiornia ;-) PorridgeGun Sep 2013 #20

Well, believe it or not, Le Taz Hot Sep 2013 #14

I can't find any sensible statistics. sibelian Sep 2013 #17

The gun humpers fight even sharing that data. morningfog Sep 2013 #24

HUH??? sibelian Sep 2013 #31

Best estimates are that about 30% of Americans own a gun, about half of them own Bluenorthwest Sep 2013 #39

Realize also most gun owners nadinbrzezinski Sep 2013 #50

Yes, that must of course be the case sibelian Sep 2013 #59

Not a clue. Le Taz Hot Sep 2013 #37

There are estimated to be a little over 50 million gun owners in the US Lizzie Poppet Sep 2013 #45

I don't own a gun etherealtruth Sep 2013 #16

I have touched a real gun several times and ... ananda Sep 2013 #29

Good at Duckhunter935 Sep 2013 #34

Exactly etherealtruth Sep 2013 #49

But Then People In The UK Just Kill Each Other With Knives Bigredhunk Sep 2013 #22

Yes, I had a long one of those arguments on this very site once. sibelian Sep 2013 #25

They don't like outside perspective, because that makes them look like the troglodytes tht they are. Democracyinkind Sep 2013 #27

Ah, are you Canadian? sibelian Sep 2013 #30

Even worse ;) Democracyinkind Sep 2013 #32

Thank you, and props to Switzerland. sibelian Sep 2013 #33

It's wonderful, quite frankly. Democracyinkind Sep 2013 #36

I;m amazed that there any problems in Switzerland at all. sibelian Sep 2013 #40

Compare murder rates, get back to me! WTF! nt Logical Sep 2013 #43

Violent crime in America is geographically concentrated hack89 Sep 2013 #26

Same here. LeftishBrit Sep 2013 #28

It was a self fulfilling prophesy here in the US with the help of the NRA and the media. liberal_at_heart Sep 2013 #41

I live in the US and I don't worry either. Courtesy Flush Sep 2013 #47

Guy Ritchie and Jason Statham have shown me IronLionZion Sep 2013 #48

We arrest them and put them in prison and try to make them into nicer people. sibelian Sep 2013 #58

I live in Oregon, don't have a gun, don't ever think about those who do and our Bluenorthwest Sep 2013 #51

From bombs, not guns. Hell Hath No Fury Sep 2013 #56

Kick Squinch Sep 2013 #52

I don't have to carry a gun, either; I'm not afraid Scootaloo Sep 2013 #53

While you don't have to worry about gun violence, it does appear that your nation has ... spin Sep 2013 #54

Me, neither. I don't live in fear. Iggo Sep 2013 #55