Re: SV: [SG2] You'll never take me alive, coppers:Was RE: PA availability

On Tue, 22 Sep 1998, Niall Gilsenan wrote:

> Since guns aren't widely available over here (believe it or not!) the
level
> of crime is statistically near the lowest in the world.

I would be very hesitant to make such a simplistic cause-effect
connection. There are examples, e.g. Switzerland, that fly in the face
of
such an assumption.

>  So maybe its a
> luxury we have as opposed to other countries with liberal gun laws to
be
> able to have armed response teams available when they are most needed.

Let's see. Finland has about one legally owned civilian firearm per two
citizens. This roughly comparable to the amount of guns in the USA.

Do you see subgun-armed police at the Helsinki airport. No.
Is there a special SWAT-type police unit? Yes. One. For the entire
country.
Is there a special army anti-terrorist unit? No.
When was the last time a policeman was shot in the line of duty?
January.
By a danish criminal. The incident before that was in the 60's.
Were the streets flooded with assault rifle-toting soldiers after that?
No.

Compare to UK:
I was in a conference in Londonderry (or Derry, if you prefer -- I don't
care) spring '97.

Did I see truckloads of cops with MP5's at Heathrow, Gatwick, Belfast
and Derry airports? Yes.
Was a policewoman shot not half a mile away while I was in conference?
Yes.
Were the streets flooded with assault rifle-toting soldiers after that?
Yes.

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