“Of course, in light of recent attacks, it’s fair to wonder if the United Kingdom’s policy of unarmed police officers makes sense.”
British Prime Minister Theresa May has promised a strong response in light of the recent terrorist attacks. There’s only one problem: her efforts appear to focus more on Internet snooping, rather than beefing up the police force she herself has gutted. Worse yet, as of now, May intends to curb the United Kingdom’s police even further in the near future.
May, leader of the Conservative (AKA Tory) party, has already seen 19,000 police officers let go. With projected budgets, another 16,000 police are expected to be laid off in the months ahead. Despite the recent rash of terrorist attacks, England and Wales are on pace to have the smallest police force in 40 years. From September of 2010 to September of 2016, the police force in England and Wales shrunk by about 13%.
Scotland, which is largely outside of Tory control, actually saw its police force expand. Northern Ireland has suffered less severe cutbacks. So far, Scotland and Northern Ireland have been spared attacks, although it is not clear if that’s due to heavier police presence or because London and other English cities are simply bigger targets.
It should also be noted that the projections for future cuts have been provided by the opposing Labour Party. As such, they need to be taken with a grain of salt. Regardless, thousands of police officers have already been laid off in recent years, and Theresa May’s government appears to be doing little to stem the hemorrhaging.
The Labour Party has also claimed that May is looking to cut police budgets even further, which could shrink the force even more. Of course, it’s possible that the recent rash of terrorist attacks will cause May to reverse course, but so far the Tories’ leader has not hinted at any police force expansions.
Instead, May has proposed increased efforts to regulate and monitor the Internet. While this might seem like a logical next step given how crucial the web is for international terrorists, experts have noted that it is relatively easy for trained terrorists to sidestep most monitoring efforts.
Even extensive monitoring efforts can be disrupted by virtual private networks and other tactics. Many experts have argued that non-terrorists and everyday citizens will be the most affected by any efforts to increase Internet surveillance.
Meanwhile, the United Kingdom’s police force has performed admirably, even though many officers are unarmed. Faced with armed terrorists wearing what appeared to be bomb vests, two unarmed police officers actually engaged them. The first responding police officer challenged all three of the terrorists wielding only a baton, suffering serious injuries in the confrontation. Another managed to rugby tackle one of the assailants to the ground.
Of course, in light of recent attacks, it’s fair to wonder if the United Kingdom’s policy of unarmed police officers makes sense.
