Hacker News Reader

Comment by Samuel_Michon | Hacker News Reader

I don’t live in the US. Even in the Netherlands, where I live, police raids are a lot larger than just 5 agents and one rifle.

In your country, police officers don’t carry guns and tactical units are armed with flowers?

View on HN

>In your country, police officers don’t carry guns?

Correct. UK.

The norm is that police officers wear guns, the UK is an exception. But even in the UK, police carry guns and rifles during raids – especially if they suspect to be met with armed resistance (as was the case with Kim Schmitz).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authorised_Firearms_Officer

Not all raids, no.

I didn’t say ‘all raids’.

Did you read the page you linked to? Guns are only carried by specialized units. While said units will be called in if the circumstances seem to merit it, that's an unusual occurrence; the normal case, even on a raid, is that noone is carrying firearms.

How does any of that contradict my earlier comment?

If the police plans to raid a building which they suspect hosts armed suspects, like in the case of Kim Schmitz, surely they’ll send in units carrying fire arms.

Not that much of an exception.

Countries where Police do not carry guns as part of normal duty:

New Zealand

Japan

Norway

Iceland

Cook Islands

St. Helena

Falkland Islands

Pitcairn Island

sources: http://www.policespecials.com/forum/index.php?/topic/32618-c... http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/50601024

Half of the ‘countries’ on your list are UK territories and 5 out of 206 countries does hardly a norm make.

Add Republic of Ireland to that list

I find that interesting, as police officers in Northern Ireland (part of the UK) do carry firearms. I have to admit I know little about either Irelands, perhaps the situation in the Republic of Ireland is a lot less volatile.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com