Yet even officers who have seen handgun mayhem support the policy. Chief Constable Charles Pollard was the commander in charge during a 1987 shooting spree in the village of Hungerford, where a man gunned down 16 people. If we arm up, criminals will arm up more. And while police share law-abiding citizens' disdain for firearms, that has not stopped them from building up their own arsenals. Airport police and bodyguards protecting members of the royal family are allowed to display their firearms.
Officers are under orders to radio back to base for permission to use weapons.
And every time a round is fired, the police automatically launch an inquiry. It's a rare occurrence. Despite having to deal with a violent drug war in Merseyside, Sharples is pleased that his 105 marksmen have not fired a round in action since 1976. And he says his unarmed officers have often talked offenders into handing over firearms. That, of course, is not standard procedure.