I vote for cops to start carrying.

[The_Dover]

In the words of Tommy Chong (i think and if I'm wrong, shoot me!)

"Guns don't kill people, cops kill people!"

[Ixion]

No need to carry guns

Just tell the SAS to pick up a top 100 list from the Police and do the business.

Crime rate would halve overnight.

Violent offending would carry a sentence multiplier based on the level of violence used on the victim, use of a weapon in an assault, automatic 15years. Life means life....

Don't even need the SAS. I'd bet any money that if the police were allowed to they'd have no trouble putting together a team to take out the top 100. It's the political and judicial willingness that's missing.

Same as how when the cops DO bust a gang HQ, they always find lots of illegal weapons . Plus drugs and heaven knows what. So, why not bust those HQs every week. Every day even. If they start fortifying them, borrow a tank from the Army. If the move, follow them. Just keep busting them up until they give up.

As to the civil liberties aspect. I am quite hot on civil liberties myself. But these are known criminals, consorting. With reasonable grounds to expect that a raid will uncover evidence of criminal activity. A consortium of known felons cannot expect the same treatment as law abiding folk.

[Buster]

How about keeping crims in prison for the full term of their sentence. And make the penalties an actual deterrent instead of the joke they are now.

If guns solved policing problems then the rest of the world would already be a happy place.

[Paul in NZ]

Well here is the first target for practising on...

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3818262a10,00.html

apparently the judge thinks at 19 he is redeemable...

I wonder what the kids parents think?

[carver]

i think we should start with letting people defend themselves.
Instead of locking up those who fight back we should encourage it.
Oh..but its against the law...well, change it you idiots!
dont rely on our cops, they only swing by what the politicians tell them to do.
of course they belive we cant be trusted to defend ourselves, its something we must leave entirely to them...see the progress?
Fuck the state, we can run our own lives.

[Timber020]

Cops carrying guns in NZ rates alongside introducing ferrets and stoats to get rid of the rabbit population.

Once cops get guns, the rate of innocent people and cops killed by guns will drastically increase, and thats just from the cops guns, crims will start arming themselves more as well. I have worked alot with armed cops overseas to see what kind of paranoia and trouble it causes.

Welcome back sniper, I see you wish to make up for lost time.

[Sniper]

i think we should start with letting people defend themselves.
Instead of locking up those who snip..........
Fuck the state, we can run our own lives.

Yep, an attitude like that goes a long way

What I have read so far is also strengthening my beliefs that most NZ'ers believe they are the best and brightest, yet faced with force, their tough man status automatically reverts to the, "Guns are bad, it encourages violence, not enough training, blah,blah." Too full of excuses rather than solutions.

[FilthyLuka]

Nah fuck that. If you get a power tripping cop who'll pepper spray someone without warning just because they feel threatened then it goes without saying that some innocent people will be killed by some hyped up trigger happy cops. NZ could do without that thanks.

You have a choice. Get shot by a trigger happy "gangsta au" or not get shot by the afformentioned gangster because he has a see through skull. Cops that get trigger happy... right... contrary to what you may think, cops still have to abide by the same laws as normal people. If a policeman unlawfully shoots someone, then they go to prison for a LONG time. Stop watching stupid cop films like "bad boys" and realise that police cant shoot everyone and get away with it... yeesh

[FilthyLuka]

Cops carrying guns in NZ rates alongside introducing ferrets and stoats to get rid of the rabbit population.

Once cops get guns, the rate of innocent people and cops killed by guns will drastically increase, and thats just from the cops guns, crims will start arming themselves more as well. I have worked alot with armed cops overseas to see what kind of paranoia and trouble it causes.

i have a knife and im going to kill you now.

option 1) the nice policeman tries to talk me down and i kill you

option 2) he shoots me and i die. you live...

which do you prefer

[carver]

Yep, an attitude like that goes a long way

What I have read so far is also strengthening my beliefs that most NZ'ers believe they are the best and brightest, yet faced with force, their tough man status automatically reverts to the, "Guns are bad, it encourages violence, not enough training, blah,blah." Too full of excuses rather than solutions.

yeah, your right, on that last one.
most NZers are all talk...all hard till something happens.
i would trust myself to deal with the fucker, as you described in your first post, rather than wait 2 hours- a day for the Fed's to show.
i would still call em though...even though they are overstreched, underfunded and taxation focused.
If i were a theif, i would steer clear of anyone who i suspected owned a Gun or could defend themselves...the cops only catch them later (usually) or not at all.

[Lias]

Our cops should be allowed to carry, and so should joe public.

Pretty much any crim can get guns, hell I can honestly say more than half the people I know who own guns do NOT have a firearms license. Its not hard to get guns if your willing to break the law. If your honest like my mates you just get a friend who does have a license to buy the guns second hand (from cockies are best, because they never worry about paperwork or serial numbers). If your dishonest you just steal em.

[Indiana_Jones]

i have a knife and im going to kill you now.

option 1) the nice policeman tries to talk me down and i kill you

option 2) he shoots me and i die. you live...

which do you prefer

I might have to go with option 2

-Indy

[The_Dover]

Trigger Happy, trigger happy
Got an AK-47, well you know it
makes me feel all right
Got an Uzi by my pillow, helps me
sleep a little better atnight
There's no feeling any
greater
Than to shoot first and ask questions later
Now I'm trigger happy, trigger happy every day

Well you can't take my guns away, I got a
Constitutional right
Yeah, I gotta be ready if the
commies attack us tonight
I'll blow their brains out
with my Smith and Wesson
That out to teach 'em all a
darn good lesson
Now I'm trigger happy, trigger happy
every day

Oh yeah, I'm trigger, trigger happy
Yes, I'm trigger, trigger happy
(Oh baby, I'm)
trigger, trigger happy
Yes, I'm trigger, trigger
happy
(Oh, I'm so) trigger, trigger happy
Yes,
I'm trigger, trigger happy
Better watch out, punk, or
I'm gonna have
To blow you away

Oh, I
accidentally shot Daddy last night in the den
I mistook him
in the dark for a drug-crazed Nazi again
Now why'd you
have to get so mad?
It's just a lousy flesh wound,
Dad
You know I'm trigger happy, trigger happy every
day

Oh, I still haven't figured out the safety
on my rifle yet
Little Fluffy took a round, better take him
to the vet
I filled that kitty cat so full of lead
We'll have to use him for a pencil instead
Well,
I'm trigger happy, trigger happy every day

Oh
yeah, I'm trigger, trigger happy
Yes, I'm
trigger, trigger happy
(Oh baby, I'm) trigger, trigger
happy
Yes, I'm trigger, trigger happy
(Oh,
I'm so) trigger, trigger happy
Yes, I'm trigger,
trigger happy
Better watch out, punk, or I'm gonna
have
To blow you away

Come on and grab your
ammo
What have you got to lose?
We'll all get
liquored up
And shoot at anything that moves

Got
a brand new semi-automatic weapon with a laser sight
Oh,
I'm prayin' somebody tries to break in here tonight
I alwaays keep a Magnum in my trunk
You better ask
yourself, do you feel lucky, punk?
Because I'm trigger
happy, trigger happy every day

[sAsLEX]

borrow a tank from the Army.

Dont have them or F16's or much anymore............

And like they found out at WACO or whatever it was a LAV aint much good against a crazy with a decent sniper rifle, go straight through the armour they have

[DMNTD:Me]

Cops that get trigger happy... right... contrary to what you may think, cops still have to abide by the same laws as normal people. If a policeman unlawfully shoots someone, then they go to prison for a LONG time.

Contrary to what you know not all cops are good decent types...yes there are some that would follow the "rules" but many others that are simply bullies with power. Have experienced it first hand...more than once,or twice...
Hey don't get me wrong I think,like what Ixion said,send them in and waste the gang HQ's,but to have a "flat foot" cruising the streets with a gun? Hell no...also too easy for the cop to get bashed and his weapon stolen.

BTW...you do realise that some cops do have access to weapons in their vehicles eh?