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How about letting citizens be armed?

Listener: Wayne
Category: General
Date: 08 May 2008
Time: 11:38:01 -0700
Remote Name: 68.91.16.225

Comments

Here's an interesting article about increased firepower for the police of D.C. From the city with some of the toughest gun control laws:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080508/METRO/970320295/1001

D.C. to arm police with assault rifles

The Metropolitan Police Department has joined other major U.S. cities in arming patrol officers with assault rifles to protect them against criminals with high-powered weapons, weeks after being released from a federal program that monitors the use of excessive force.

"We want to be as accurate as possible and have more stopping power," Assistant Chief Patrick Burke said yesterday.

The department already has 500 semiautomatic AR-15 rifles, which were converted from fully automatic rifles, and has trained 340 officers to use them.

Chief Burke said the weapons will go in service after the department decides how to rack them in patrol cars, but gave no specific start date.

The Chicago Police Department is making similar plans and the City of Miami Police Department is already using such weapons.

He goes on to say:

"We need to be equally equipped with the firearms that are being used against the police," said Monique Bond, a Chicago police spokeswoman. "If officers cannot protect themselves, they cannot protect residents."

My comment: Better yet, how about citizens being armed to protect themselves first?!

Wayne