And I've seen cops in my local shop wandering up and down the sandwich aisle, packing pistols. Really, if they're on lunch-break, they could just leave the ratchet in their desk (this shop is literally across the road from the station).
Basically, if there are cops with pistols in my local shop, it should be safe to assume they're chasing an armed criminal, and that therefore I should leave not just the shop, but the the whole area.
I complained; complaint rejected without investigation by the Chief Constable (and he was pretty rude about it).
Carrying pistols in the UK? I didn’t think firearms offices carried pistols at all in the UK, I’m also surprised they’re carrying any firearm when they’re off duty.
Authorised firearms officers will generally carry some form of rifle (or submachine gun?) as their primary firearm but will also carry a sidearm, most commonly a Glock 17 I think but I do know my local constabulary issue a SIG Sauer P320 (and a SIG Sauer MCX as their primary, but again this varies by constabulary).
It was GB. They were in uniform, and with all the macho shit - cuffs, collapsible nightsticks, tasers, flak jackets. I said it was "lunch-break", because they were clearly shopping for sandwiches. But that doesn't mean they were off-duty.
Yeah, I'm not used to seeing coppers packing pistols. I think there was some political march that day, but in this town marches and protests don't turn into riots. And I don't think it's appropriate for gunmen to serve as march stewards.
And I've seen cops in my local shop wandering up and down the sandwich aisle, packing pistols. Really, if they're on lunch-break, they could just leave the ratchet in their desk (this shop is literally across the road from the station).
Basically, if there are cops with pistols in my local shop, it should be safe to assume they're chasing an armed criminal, and that therefore I should leave not just the shop, but the the whole area.
I complained; complaint rejected without investigation by the Chief Constable (and he was pretty rude about it).