Have just heard Police Assn's Greg O'Connor on ZB's Larry Williams Live, being questioned on his renewed stance for arming of police, (as in strapped to the hip), following the serious machete attack incident on a Taihape lawman.
If the police arm up, wont the crims follow suit? asks Larry.
Too late says Greg, the crims are already there, growing in drug based where-withall and resource to obtain. Theyre carrying to protect themselves from inter-gang dispute, but increasingly police, and inevitably, more public are getting caught as collateral damage.
Seems like a side-arm wouldnt have helped in this circumstance prods Larry.
Maybe not so if the crim knew at the outset he was out-weaponed, responds Greg.
Everyone from the PM and the Police Minister down dont support arming of police, says Larry.
Greg responds, it would be interesting to poll the public now, 9 lawmen killed in the line of duty in the last 2 years, multiple more attacks.
If the police cant protect themselves, how are they going to protect the public.
There might be a hue and cry about it right now, (on implementation), but in 6 months time, it'll be like nothing happened.
I'm on Greg's side.
In America all police are side-armed. All the ones we struck were polite, amiable, and helpful. I dont doubt they could be insistent.
The big difference between here and there is simply that we've got more and worse baddies in our society than America has, and this was somewhat of a shock to me to experience. As Greg said, we arent some peaceful little South Pacific paradise anymore.
I had a look up of police stats between our two countries, the rate of serious injury crimes, and crimes against property, per 100,000 of pop. is double here in NZ than in USA.
The situation regarding murders is the reverse, but I bet it wont be for long if we dont arm our police.
Or we'll end up like America before Wyatt Earp came to town.
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