Two unarmed policewomen shot dead in the UK

[The Don]

Never had any interest in firearms, but I used to own a bow with which I believe I could have pretty reliably shot someone at 40 yards and probably at 60.
When it was stolen (in a burglary), the police were concerned that it was a crossbow. When I said it was a (take down) longbow, they made amusing and original references to Robin Hood, rather failing to take the point that Robin Hood actually killed people.

[nitpick]Or would have killed people if he existed. You may as well talk about Legolas killing people with his bow [/nitpick]

But yes, point taken. Although I suppose a longbow is more difficult to use effectively than a crossbow.

 

[fuelair]

[nitpick]Or would have killed people if he existed. You may as well talk about Legolas killing people with his bow [/nitpick]

But yes, point taken. Although I suppose a longbow is more difficult to use effectively than a crossbow.

Not if you have practiced (otherwise, yes) and, it has a greater effective range.

 

[Dcdrac]

What about the Holy Hand grenade of Antioch?

 

[geni]

Not if you have practiced (otherwise, yes) and, it has a greater effective range.

However the police are fairly familiar with burglars and thus know that they are unlikely to do much archery practice.

 

[fuelair]

What about the Holy Hand grenade of Antioch?

Nice, but there being only one of the thing is a bit of a problem.

 

[fuelair]

However the police are fairly familiar with burglars and thus know that they are unlikely to do much archery practice.

True, but I could see a use for it amongst the 2nd Story crowd.

 

[Nessie]

Bar far the most likely threatening incident for the UK police to confront is a person armed with a long knife or sword, samurai being a favourite. We are still a bit medieval that way.

 

[geni]

Lets run the numbers.

If we look at the numbers the construction industry on average (over the last 5 years ) kills 2.8 people per 100,000 per year. A bit over 130K police in england and wales meaning that if policing is as dangerious as construction we would expect 3.6 deaths per year.

Stats on police deaths are non obvious but if we remove deaths due to natural causes the average of on duty deaths (+ the defacto on duty case of Ian Dibell) comes out at 2.7 deaths per year. Of course with numbers that low it doesn't take much to swing the figures one way or the other but for the moment it appears that policing is safer than construction.

 

[Darat]

Lets run the numbers.

If we look at the numbers the construction industry on average (over the last 5 years ) kills 2.8 people per 100,000 per year. A bit over 130K police in england and wales meaning that if policing is as dangerious as construction we would expect 3.6 deaths per year.

Stats on police deaths are non obvious but if we remove deaths due to natural causes the average of on duty deaths (+ the defacto on duty case of Ian Dibell) comes out at 2.7 deaths per year. Of course with numbers that low it doesn't take much to swing the figures one way or the other but for the moment it appears that policing is safer than construction.

Don't worry the government has plans to address that appalling figure, remove "'elf and safety gone mad" regulations on building sites!

 

[Professor Yaffle]

There was a disturbingly similar incident in the recent TV drama Good Cop, where police were lured to a house and one was attacked by a gang waiting for them. I'm hoping that's simply life mirroring art, rather than being inspired by it.

Looks like they have postponed the final episode because of these murders. And taken the earlier episodes down from iPlayer.

 

[Andy_Ross]

Police will get killed. Their job involves going towards situations where people have weapons or are violent while everuone else is usualy doing the opposite.

 

[zooterkin]

Looks like they have postponed the final episode because of these murders. And taken the earlier episodes down from iPlayer.

Sounds like something in the final episode was much too close for comfort to the recent events. I wondered why they were showing an old episode of HIGNFY last night (we records most things on a PVR, so I have no idea what day most programmes are on, and I hadn't realised that the last episode of Good Cop was yet to be broadcast).