Firearms and the police
Police Association president Chris Cahill’s idea of a fully armed “modern” police force is a plan to increase the number of New Zealanders shot (“Call to arms”, December 18).
Overseas, general arming has increased violence, making everyone, police included, less safe. The injuries and deaths are disproportionately suffered by people in margin-alised communities and with mental-health challenges.
The article said firearm incidents in 2019 were the highest for a decade, but the police confirmed to the Council of Licenced Firearms Owners recently, following an enquiry under the Official Information Act, that numbers fell in the 2020/21 year. Police had arms presented at them only 24 times.
The threat to police staff is overstated. Only 13% of the constables who answered the Police Association survey claimed to have been threatened by a firearm in 2020 – the same number as in 2019. And only 23% of respondents had experienced an incident they thought would have been better resolved if they had had a firearm.
We support Police Minister Poto Williams and Police Commissioner Andrew Coster in policing by consent, and focusing on disarming criminals.
Hugh Devereux-Mack
Council of Licenced Firearms Owners
With the increasing violence as a result of poorly controlled gun licensing, it is time to look at establishing a system to seriously restrict gun ownership.
As an ex-army officer with Vietnam experience, I have witnessed the horrific results when weapons are too freely available.
I believe guns should not
