Scots Police Teach US Cops How To Avoid Gun Use

American police chiefs have been to Scotland to learn new techniques in how to avoid shooting violent suspects. As numerous fatal police confrontations cause public anger across the US, officers are rethinking when, and how, they use force. The results are part of a hard-htting documentary to be shown on Sky Atlantic and Sky News. Last year, police in the US shot and killed around 1,000 civilians, many of them unarmed. Former hostage negotiator with the Boston police department, Chuck Wexler, brought the team across the Atlantic in an attempt to cut the use of fatal force.

Sky news

Seems a interesting development. Be interesting to see if US cops can apply any of our techniques.

Police shootings in the USA is a problem. But I do see a massive culture difference towards crime so whether our methods would work in the USA is yet to be seen.

a reply to: crazyewok

But then how they be able to feel the rush of absolute power as judge jury and executioner?

a reply to: crazyewok

We scare suspects enough with our profanity that the use of weapons is not required.

a reply to: crazyewok

Nope, not going to work, sorry,

www.gunpolicy.org...

The estimated total number of guns (both licit and illicit) held by civilians in Scotland is 280,000

Now, hold your breath for the WHOPPER of numbers in the U.S.

www.gunpolicy.org...

The estimated total number of guns (both licit and illicit) held by civilians in the United States is 270,000,0001 to 310,000,000

It sounds good, but we are not talking apples to apples..

Why would a bunch of cops whose population don't own guns try to educate a bunch of cops whose population owns a boatload of guns?

originally posted by: jjkenobi
Why would a bunch of cops whose population don't own guns try to educate a bunch of cops whose population owns a boatload of guns?

Criminals still have guns and knives in Scotland but standard police officers do not.

They are trained to be able to diffuse dangerous situations with armed threats without shooting them with a gun they do not have.

Well good! They need some learnin'

originally posted by: ReadLeader
a reply to: crazyewok

Nope, not going to work, sorry,

www.gunpolicy.org...

The estimated total number of guns (both licit and illicit) held by civilians in Scotland is 280,000

Now, hold your breath for the WHOPPER of numbers in the U.S.

www.gunpolicy.org...

The estimated total number of guns (both licit and illicit) held by civilians in the United States is 270,000,0001 to 310,000,000

It sounds good, but we are not talking apples to apples..

I think the policing here is more aimed at when US cops encounter unarmed people as there have been a spat of shootings in the US involving people without guns.

As I said only time will tell if they can learn anything applicable.

USA policing is in a dreadful state at the moment. Worth trying anything really.

originally posted by: nonspecific

originally posted by: jjkenobi
Why would a bunch of cops whose population don't own guns try to educate a bunch of cops whose population owns a boatload of guns?

Criminals still have guns and knives in Scotland but standard police officers do not.

They are trained to be able to diffuse dangerous situations with armed threats without shooting them with a gun they do not have.

I think the problem they will face is mentality of criminals.

There seems to be a big mindset diffrence between Criminals.

a reply to: ReadLeader

Now adjust for the number of officers per hundred thousand individuals, and adjust for the fact that Scotland is smaller. The numbers look much better after that.

a reply to: crazyewok

There is poverty, crime and a “pathological hatred of officers wearing our uniform” in pockets of Scotland, he said, but constables live where they work and embrace their role as “guardians of the community,” not warriors from a policing subculture.

www.nytimes.com... ss&emc=rss&_r=2

And some interesting analysis here.blog.simplejustice.us...

But the only person who claims to have been on three similar trips says golf holiday.

a reply to: crazyewok

Perhaps somebody can refresh my memory, but I seem to recall that the standards for police being allowed to shoot a person in the US was set a couple of decades ago by a foreign country that did extensive training across the US that basically gave no quarter.... After all, it is merely a matter of training and if the training gives little leeway except to resort to pulling a trigger, that becomes the rule of thumb.

originally posted by: jjkenobi
Why would a bunch of cops whose population don't own guns try to educate a bunch of cops whose population owns a boatload of guns?

Apparently the initiative came from the American side of the Atlantic.
"Chuck Wexler, from Boston, took the team over to Scotland".
So the Scots are simply being obliging to an American request.

a reply to: crazyewok

Agreed. Didn't intend on popping the balloon or going delta bravo . Just stating the facts. I am ALL for less lethal force, for sure... we'll be watching the progress on this.

Thanks for the thread, Crazy.

a reply to: crazyewok


Policing in the us is bad because we have a lot of #ty citizens, cops get fed up too. That's why I avoid them because you never know what asshole the cop was with before interacting with you.

a reply to: crazyewok

It makes sense.

Law enforcement is a given in most nations and if one nation can show another a more appropriate approach to settling potential violence then we should be all ears.

a reply to: angryhulk

I'd really like to see Scotts police try that in South Chicago! Oh, really......I'd PAY to see that. Send some over to give it a go, but please send them equipped with their own body bags. Body bags is getting expensive in Illinois.

originally posted by: TonyS
a reply to: angryhulk

I'd really like to see Scotts police try that in South Chicago! Oh, really......I'd PAY to see that. Send some over to give it a go, but please send them equipped with their own body bags. Body bags is getting expensive in Illinois.

Are you really showing off because of how dangerous it is where you live?

Are you actually proud of the brutal nature of your criminals?

a reply to: TrueBrit

A good point-the population of Scotland is what-four million at best? (sorry my thistly friends) and it would be hard to compare or extrapolate the crimes that occur in the US, however the US they have far more firearms per capita and that fact alone could explain why some cops shoot first and are guilty by media later.

Perhaps teaching a cop to be a good cop is the first step, or perhaps teaching citizens to respect the law is the key, but then again there are rules for some and rules for others. I want to hear more stories of good cops because contrary to popular belief they do exist.

originally posted by: jjkenobi
Why would a bunch of cops whose population don't own guns try to educate a bunch of cops whose population owns a boatload of guns?

Exactly British cops don't face the prospect of pulling over an angry Scot with a gun, which puts a whole new spin on things. I'm not getting into the gun debate just highlighting the differences each countries police officers face