UK cops shot their guns just seven times in the last year

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Police in Britain shot their guns just seven times in the last year - Official figures paint a huge contrast with the United States

Why can't the US be more like the UK? Or Canada?

I heard a guy say on TV a couple of weeks ago that people in Texas seem to have a gene where they just LOVE the death penalty and seeing people being executed. I can't imagine what they think of Canada, with our supposedly always freezing climate and the fact that we don't even have the death penalty.

Reminds me of an anecdote I heard on the internet. Can't prove it but for the amusement.

Supposedly, Scotland Yard had a consultant, retired US police. The consultant was asked "What you do if someone aggressive was shouting at you and holding a brick?"

"Shoot them." came the response. This is fair enough non lethal response for an average officer.

That answer surprised Scotland Yard's officers, as that this particular officer had spent considerably number of years as a hostage negotiator but failed to even consider talking to anyone in the example.

I can only speak for myself but having watched police TV shows from both countries I think UK police are far superior to American police. I would much rather have to deal with them than American police.

About the guns it's not just the guns either. There was a thread here about police killing unarmed blacks and a lot of the deaths were by tazer. UK police don't carry tazers. They have batons but I very rarely see them use them on the shows. They're more likely to use a police dog than a baton, and often the criminal gives up just on seeing the dog or when it's loosed so the dog is called off before it ever gets to the criminal most of the time. So many times I see them talk someone down where I'm sure American police would just get out a gun or tazer. They nearly always use just the force they need to make the arrest and no more. They usually always appear calm and collected.

A curiosity, UK police don't use the PIT manuever either in chases. They're not allowed to. They either employ spike strips or simply wait for the driver to screw up or give up or run out of gas. Or pursue with a helicopter until they exit the vehicle then direct ground units in to intercept. If the pursuit is too dangerous to the general public they break off the pursuit.

Talking does sometimes work too... maybe American police are mute?

The Counted: people killed by police in the United States – interactive

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i ... _clipboard

Versus Murica in 2015 1146 citizens died by police, most died by gunshots.

I don't know much about american cops but maybe the difference is that UK police just feel like another person in the community. They wander about unarmed among everyone else being friendly and chatting. They are pretty well respected here, there really is little reason to dislike UK police, they are just another person going about their job.