London Police Consider Arming Officers Amid Rising Security Threats

The Telegraph reported that London police leaders are considering the possibility of routinely distributing firearms to their officers, amid increasing threats to their safety from criminals.

The newspaper explained that an internal investigation recommended that capital officers be equipped with semi-automatic pistols to protect them from the growing risks to their lives, noting that the review of weapon policies came after two police officers were seriously stabbed in central London in 2022.

It is noted that carrying firearms currently is limited to qualified personnel within specialized units, as well as those tasked with protecting important events or dealing with dangerous animals, while the rest of the police rely only on radios and gas canisters.