How Does UK Police Equipment Compare With US Cops?
3 September 2019, 07:55 | Updated: 3 September 2019, 07:58
As police overwhelmingly back Nick Ferrari's call for all officers to carry tasers, we take a look at how the UK's police are equipped in comparison with their US counterparts.
For his Time for Tasers campaign, Nick Ferrari visited the New York to look at how the NYPD had cracked down on violent crime in the Big Apple.
He wanted to see how the police in the US are equipped and whether tasers would help fight crime and protect our officers.
Here's how they compare:
UK officer
- Radio
- Body camera
- Baton
- Pepper spray
- Rigid handcuffs
- Velcro straps
- Stab vest
The kit weighs 7kg.
In a few forces, such as Kent, officers can carry tasers. Nick Ferrari's campaign is to equip all officers in all forces with a taser.
US officer
- Glock 9mm semi-automatic firearm
- Spare magazines for his gun
- Taser
- Baton
- Latex gloves
- Combat tourniquet
- Leatherman multitool
- Handcuffs
- Radio
- First aid kit
- Bullet proof vest
- Secondary firearm
This weighs almost double the UK equipment, coming in at 13.5kg.
Nick asked one US officer how he would feel going out on the streets without a firearm or taser.
His response: "I give them a lot of credit for doing what they do without the weapons and tools that we have here. I don't think I'd be a police officer over there."
Another commented: "I would sooner go out without shoes than without the kit that we have here."
