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When I moved out to Australia a few years back, I was shocked to see armed policemen wandering the streets. My initial reaction was - why the hell are they carrying guns? Isn't that a bit dangerous? I immediately felt that I wouldn't want to go up and chat to the officers the way I might to an English policeman.
Maybe it's just my sheltered English upbringing, but I'm just really uneasy about guns full stop. I don't like them, and I feel it puts a wall between the policeman and the civilian. If the British police are serious about community relations, I would want to keep them unarmed for as long as possible. Armed Response units are obviously needed, but for the normal cop in the street - no guns please.
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