Letter: Random Armed Police Patrols Will Not Protect Us

Published on: 27 Sep, 2020
Updated on: 27 Sep, 2020

From: David Roberts

In response to: Couple Worries About Armed Police Patrols on Our High Street

I am alarmed that so many people seem to accept the normalisation of arms on our streets, and even feel safer because of it. The argument that “if you’ve done nothing wrong you’ve got nothing to worry about” is creepier still: classic authoritarianism.

Personally, I find the idea of “routine patrols” by armed officers where there is no identified threat chilling. Serious violence is vanishingly rare in Guildford, and terrorism rarer still.

Random armed patrols deployed without specific intelligence will never protect us against organised criminals or lone, unhinged extremists. In fact, they give me the creeps.

Editor’s note: Surrey Police’s chief constable has said each armed patrol is specifically tasked.

Responses to Letter: Random Armed Police Patrols Will Not Protect Us

Paul Robinson Reply

September 28, 2020 at 10:59 am

David Roberts – how do you know there is “no identified threat”? The police not going to broadcast it and compromise the intelligence source.

How does he know there have been no plots foiled by their presence?
Aileen Young Reply

September 28, 2020 at 4:37 pm

I live in America. Unfortunately, you get used to it. Sorry to see Britain go in that direction.
Kevin Bezant Reply

September 29, 2020 at 3:38 pm

David Roberts is spot on. It is great to see our police force working to keep us all safe.
Graham Vickery Reply

October 5, 2020 at 11:31 pm

How can the public possibly be asked to believe that sauntering down Guildford High Street armed to the teeth with automatic weapons is a ‘specific task’. Surely, if there was to be a dire threat our Chief Constable wouldn’t place his armed police in the position of being sitting targets?