London Bobbies packing heat

Last update: October 23, 2009 - 7:58 PM

Wielding submachine guns and pistols, British police are making armed patrols in crime-blighted London neighborhoods -- a change in tactics that may prompt calls for the wider use of weapons by the country's traditionally unarmed Bobbies.

London's police department said Friday that a new armed unit is carrying out sweeps of districts riven by gun battles between drug gangs.

Unlike typical police procedure, the team of about 20 officers is actively seeking out criminals carrying or storing guns -- rather than waiting to respond to emergency calls. Chief Inspector Neil Sharman said the unit began work in June to tackle rising gun crime and soon will double in size.

In contrast to the United States and many European nations, British police have never routinely carried firearms on patrol, with only a limited number of officers trained to use guns. "In the past, the police were authority figures dealing primarily with people who respected the police. However, as terrorism and crime increases in the U.K., the traditional icon of the Bobby on the beat is becoming incapable of dealing with terrorists and violent crime," said Bob Ayers, a London-based former U.S. intelligence officer.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

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