Maybe Profiling Isn't Such A Bad Idea?

[anarchist_nomad]

Dylann Roof
Elliot Rodger
Adam Lanza
James Holmes
Jared Loughner

Need I continue?

Perhaps we should start a random 'stop and frisk' type screening for white USAmerican males who are roughly between the ages of 16 and 25?[*]

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[*] Yes, I know they don't account for all the mass shootings. You've got Seung-Hui Cho (Korean), Wade Michael Page (40), Aaron Alexis (black), and so on. But the list is definitely disproportionately young white men.

Comments

[acelightning.livejournal.com]

For a very, very long time, it was "common knowledge" that British police managed quite well with billy clubs and bicycles, where American cops had pistols and patrol cars. I don't remember when it was that I heard that, due to an increase in violent crime in the UK, the bobbies were now given pistols in certain circumstances. At least you haven't upgraded to grenade launchers and armored vehicles... yet... :-(

[dragonmamma.livejournal.com]

"normal" police over here are still not authorised to carry or use firearms. We have special units that are allowed to do so and they are called in for "emergencies" (hostage situations for example). I believe the thinking is that if the Police are armed it merely causes escalation.
And I believe there is an actual aversion among English people to having armed police. Maybe we are more law abiding (unlikely) or maybe we remember our history when those in charge (Royalty/Aristocracy etc) could inflict any punishments they wished and we fought long and hard to overturn those rights and to give us all equality. And so we really dont want to give a killer advantage back to a select few wearing a uniform. Not sure really, but most people I know react with horror at the thought of having the police permanently armed - it's just not "English" doncher kn ow.

[anarchist-nomad.livejournal.com]

Indeed. From what I've heard (second-hand), when it has been put to the officers, the UK police themselves have always voted against carrying firearms. The rationale is that it would change their relationship with the public, and the idea that the police are there to serve the people.

I actually have my own opinions about police, and it's no secret that they are quite negative. But I'll bite my tongue here, since this is a discussion of the UK/US differences in police and not a general critique of the police as an institution.

[acelightning.livejournal.com]

But I would think that the police do use specially marked cars more than bicycles now - or am I wrong about that too?