دراسة حول الشرطة المسلحة في اسكتلندا

Armed Police in Scotland: Study Notes

• Hypothesis: Police in Scotland should be armed.

• Research Aims:

  • Determine the purposes of armed police.
  • Gauge public opinion on armed police.
  • Investigate the impact of armed police on crime rates.

• Research Methods:

  • Survey:
    • Strengths: Quick completion (avg. 1 min 14 sec), large sample (potentially), Scottish demographic.
    • Weakness: Limited age range (under 18), potential lack of awareness/knowledge from respondents.
    • Improvement: Wider age range representation.
  • BBC Website:
    • Strengths: Impartial, Editorially independent, fact-based content.
    • Weakness: Article from 2021, potentially outdated views.
    • Improvement: Use more recent articles.

• Findings:

  • Aim 1: Purposes of armed police:

    • Northern Ireland: Armed due to terrorism concerns (though rates decreased).
    • Met Police: Security, high-risk situations, public events, working with military, firearm-related incidents.

  • Aim 2: Public opinion:

    • Scottish Police Survey: Over half of officers want firearms, more feeling safer with firearms, but 47% feel unsafe with police carrying firearms.
    • Survey Findings: Varying opinions, some believe armed police increase safety for public and personnel (deterrents for criminals), while others express concern about the police becoming overly powerful or causing fear in the public.

  • Aim 3: Impact on crime rates:

    • Science Direct: Mild decrease in murder and violent crime.
    • The Week: Some fear that armed police could increase violence (police being more powerful).

• Conclusion:

  • Hypothesis challenge: Research does not support arming Scottish police.
  • Reasons for Conclusion: Public fear, potential negative impacts on reporting crime, potential increase in fear and dangerous situations for police.
  • Argument against arming police: Scotland's comparatively lower murder rate negates the necessity for armed protection compared to higher-crime regions (like Northern Ireland). Increased police danger along with decreased public trust.