Topics

More than three-quarters of police officers in England and Wales do not want to carry firearms, even though more than 40% have faced life-threatening situations in the past two years, a report reveals today. The Police Federation poll, released at its annual conference in Bournemouth, found 77% of respondents rejected routine arming of frontline officers, despite 5.7%, the equivalent of 7,000 throughout the 43 English and Welsh forces, having had guns pointed at them, while 28% have been threatened with knives. A total of 41.6% had been physically assaulted while arresting suspects.