Thugs who carry knives ought to anticipate to be shot, says police chief
Any thug who pulls a knife on Scotland’s streets ‘should expect to be shot’ by frontline officers responding to life-or-death emergencies, according to a top police union official.
David Kennedy, general secretary of the Scottish Police Federation (SPF), called for a New Zealand-style system of increased access to firearms.
He believes that all officers should be trained in the use of guns and every police car equipped to carry them, allowing access in the event of a threat to life incident.
The SPF – which represents 98 per cent of officers – will make the case for greater protection as part of its manifesto for police reform, which is due to be released later this month ahead of the Scottish parliament election.
Discussing its most eye-catching proposal in an interview in The Herald, Mr Kennedy suggested there was a clear need for stronger action over the threat to police and public from knife crime.
He said: ‘If you walk out into the street in Scotland with a knife you should expect to be shot by police.’
David Kennedy has proposed for more Scottish police officers to have access to firearms
Mr Kennedy highlighted the increased dangers for officers and the public from knife crime
Mr Kennedy added that ‘every single police officer’ in Scotland will suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder at some point due to the levels of violence they face, adding: ‘Police in Scotland are being emotionally and psychologically battered every day.’
With officers also buckling under the pressure of low numbers on the frontline, Mr Kennedy claims the public is being left at risk.
He said: ‘Policing is in crisis and the officers trying their hardest to provide a service to their communities are being broken in the process.’
In particular, the SPF points out that ‘violence against officers is rising and personal protective equipment remains inadequate’.
‘As a result, the SPF is keen to adopt the firearms model used in Norway and New Zealand, which allows weapons to be stored securely in every police car so officers can access guns quickly if there is a threat to life.
The proposal was backed by the Scottish Conservative victims and community safety spokesman, Sharon Dowey, who said: ‘These calls underline the growing problem of knife crime which is causing misery on Scotland’s streets.
‘Under the SNP’s regime, many dangerous individuals involved in knife crime often avoid jail and are simply sent away with a slap on the wrists.’
