Have the British police begun to carry guns yet?
Small numbers of the police have carried guns since during WW2, yet even then they were never carried on patrol. Traditionally it is the army that carry guns openly, and I think there has always been a rejection of police carrying guns for fear that (especially in N. Ireland) it will too closely resemble the army. The powers that be want to make a clear distinction. Today, there are quite a few armed police in different areas of Britain but it is not standard, nor nationwide. It does not look like it will become so either (82% of police do not want it). Only Authorised Firearms Officers carry firearms/tasers. They are not typically on general patrol, but they are assigned to specific tasks and specific areas (i.e. airports) which need high protection.
