It is believed that an armed police force interacts in society differently from an unarmed police force Little is known about how the change to an armed force will affect the relationship between the police and the public. This study... more
It is believed that an armed police force interacts in society differently from an unarmed police force Little is known about how the change to an armed force will affect the relationship between the police and the public. This study identifies these issues by studying the police of England and Wales, Norway and Sweden. Prominent themes emerged including the importance maintaining a high level of police legitimacy. The use of firearms by police is influenced by departmental policy and their independent perception of the degree of risk they face. The main conclusions drawn from this research were that it was not likely a barrier would emerge between the police and public nor was there likely to be a significant impact on the police’s ability to police by consent. However routinely arming might lead to a reduction in police safety as officers may be more inclined to engage in dangerous situations.
In the aftermath of the 22 February 2011 Christchurch earthquake (where approximately 185 people died) police officers from Australia deployed into Christchurch to assist New Zealand Police. Unlike their Australian counterparts, New... more
In the aftermath of the 22 February 2011 Christchurch earthquake (where approximately 185 people died) police officers from Australia deployed into Christchurch to assist New Zealand Police. Unlike their Australian counterparts, New Zealand Police are not routinely armed; they do not wear a firearm on their duty belt as a matter of course. As such, the Australian police officers had to 'disarm' during their deployment in New Zealand. There is anecdotal evidence that the 'disarmed' officers were initially fearful of operating unarmed, but over time they became accustomed to it, and observed that New Zealand police officers dealt with situations in a different manner because of their unarmed status. There is further anecdotal evidence that suggests some of the Australian officers, when returning from New Zealand, took time to readjust to policing in their 're-armed' state. While these anecdotes poses several questions—the most curious of which is to ask how two...
