Topic: Another Robbery

[lorna]

On Friday evening my Grandson (19) and a couple of friends were sitting in their cars at the local Tesco's car park. They witnessed an armed robbery, I think it was the security van filling the cash machine. The boys quickly phoned the police. A normal police car arrived 20 minutes later..The thieves had driven off by then.
It worries me that our police force is so under manned that it takes 20 minutes to attend a serious situation and secondly in the light of the tragic killing of a policewoman recently I would have thought that armed backup was needed.

[Lily]

Lets hope they catch the robbers.  It must be quite a shock to witness such an event.  Your Grandson were very quick to re-act, and sensibly call the police.

Lily

[spacehopper]

Twenty minutes! Good on your grandson for calling them though.

[TULIP-23]

Lorna.
Certainly a long time to responde...perhaps in the light of the Recent Sad Lose of a Mother and Policewoman.
they are now airing on the Side of Caution...can we blame them

Do you think we need to become a Gun Culture like America!!

We have Armed Police here very day its a normal Occurrance: When the weapon is only draw the Officer as to justify it with a written report.
It standard dress here for our Police to carry Side-Arms.
But here I think the Mentality is Different...I dont mean that in a nasty way...more stringent rules.

I was very close to A shop Robbery...being Noise I took a Look, the Police officer...waved me away...but put the weapon away first...when i was out of the Danger  Area ...he carried on !!! Silly really not only did I put my self at risk....but also that Officer...who was for a very short period of time  himself was  unprotect...although he was,not alone.

[Lily]

I personally would not like to see all police armed with guns.  It means all criminals will feel they need to be armed.

Lily

[undercarriage plan]

Oh Lorna, the poor lads, they must have been scared witless, good on them for phoning though. The ambulance that came for OH last week (he's fine now, back at work.) took over an hour to get here! And no, I don't think all police officers should be armed either, I think it'd all spiral out of control.
Lottie

[paranoid mandroid]

over here (in northern ireland) police have only started to go out unarmed which is very strange for people to see because in the past it wasn't unusual to see police standing on a corner with a automatic machine gun. (not sure which type but the type you need to put to your shoulder - quite big)

does anybody think that if police were on the beat with handguns potential crooks would be put off? i know i would be - but im not a crook  ;D and as lottie says it could spiral out of control. northern ireland isn't a good example to use for anything for obvious reasons but i thought id mention it.

well done to your grandson  :)

[Multiveg]

Do you still have those "tanks" out there for police vehicles? Remember that a friend got himself arrested for (can't remember the crime, perhaps breach of peace,...) and had a ride in the armoured vehicle to the police station.

Thinking of that comedy - Give my head peace, where they ran troubled tours using  police "tank" that Billy obtained as a minibus. Saw them live as well in Belfast.

[grassroots]

It may not be guns we need, but bobby's and not one or two but thousend's off them and to be armed with the law that will do some thing to redress the situation that we are now in

[Multiveg]

I don't believe in guns for law enforcement as standard.
Read something about a small post office being raided by armed robbers, and the money that was stolen, the (sub?)postmaster was supposed to pay back to the post office?

[lorna]

Tulip-23... 3rd attempt to reply to you, my posts keep dissapearing, I must have gremlins. Will ask PC bod (son)

That was my point, to send a normal police car without armed back up was to me very worrying.
 
No I wouldn't like all our police to carry guns. They do a wonderful job, but would like to see MORE policemen/women

[paranoid mandroid]

multiveg -
do you get 'give my head peace' on tv over on the mainland - i would have thought it only had humour that we would get?

the armoured vans we have now are converted landrovers - i have only seen the tanks in a aircraft hangar being stored or on tv when it gets really bad (as per september)

[Multiveg]

Spent 3 years in Belfast, sort of working at QUB. Lived near Tesco off the Belmont Road. Had a dentist in, bother, can't remember - Ballysillan Road in July 2000 - what a pain to get back to the centre after silly stuf regarding buses. Then had a lovely meal in the Mongolian barbecue, and walked home (no buses, no taxis going in my direction). Earlier that week, burning barricades in roads, etc...

Unfortunately, don't get that comedy over here.Used to enjoy it. Oh Uncle Andy in The Kneebreakers?

[TULIP-23]

Lorna ;) Hi
I understand what  you say and where your coming from..
we have out share of problems here believe me.

I think everywhere...there is a shortage of policemen and Woman

Incidentally the Military police men and Women here have the same powers as thier Colleges in the Civilian Branch.

Maybe thats the Missing link in the U.K what do you think!!

[adam04]

I think its often that the police do it to let them get away. Saves confrontations that can lead in deaths, let them do it, insurance and then they rely on the CID etc to do the work and catch the people.

Bit sad, but i never sure if necessary or not, maybe more deaths would come if they reacted so quick.

[Robert_Brenchley]

Namissa and I were in an armed robbery some years ago, at the local Post Office. She ran out when they burst in, I got trapped inside with the postmistress. Not nice at all.