The killing of unarmed black people by police in the US is an issue of systemic racism. So how much do armed officers exacerbate aggression and escalate tension? It’s naive to think the US would ever decide to disarm its public, let alone its police force.
Stripping cops of guns is not a radical idea - law enforcement in the UK and New Zealand, for example, don’t carry firearms on routine patrols. So does that leave police more open to harm? Or could taking away their firearms help shift the power dynamic? And should we do it here in Australia?
This week on The Case we’re looking at the three things we need to try and understand when it comes to unarmed officers: the psychology of guns, the firearm-free model and rethinking policing.
The Psychology of Guns
You might assume that carrying a gun makes it safer to be a police officer. But there is no clear evidence that’s the case. It can actually make people feel the opposite.
“When people own guns, when they carry guns, we think that it enhances fear and decreases a sense of safety,” RMIT psychologist and criminologist Dr Michelle Noon said. She adds that mindset is dangerous when rational thinking disappears and ‘fight or flight’ kicks in.
“How we’re assessing the world around us is through this lens of fear and that is extremely problematic when we are then also armed.”
Dr Noon says weapons can automatically raise the stakes in disputes.
“But importantly, they’re reducing the propensity of police to use those other incredible skills they have for human-to-human connection,” she said.
What’s more, studies suggest the mere presence of a gun can potentially increase aggressive thoughts and perceptions of hostility. That’s known as ‘The Weapons Effect.’
The study’s implications for aggressive behaviour is more questionable, particularly when placed in the context of people who are more familiar with or more trained in handling firearms, according to Dr Jennifer Beaudry, Senior Psychology Lecturer at Swinburne University of Technology. But other studies argue carrying a gun can make you more paranoid and interacting with a gun can increase testosterone.
Take a firearm from the hands of an aggressive cop and they’re still an aggressive cop. But their ability to take a life in a split-second is at the very least tempered. They’re instead forced to rely on mediation and de-escalation.
“Less coercive procedures... result in greater compliance. What you’re looking for is to build connections with police rather than further separate them from community members,” Dr Beaudry said.
That could be why some countries choose not to arm police on regular patrol.
The Firearm-Free Model
In 19 countries around the world, police don’t carry guns on regular patrol. I’m talking about most of the UK, Norway, Iceland, Botswana and Malawi as well as a bunch of our Pacific neighbours.
England decided not to give police guns in the 19th century because they didn’t want the public to fear them. Today a majority of the force is still unarmed, with the exception of counter-terrorism units. But attitudes could be starting to shift. Once upon a time in 2006, only 23% of UK officers supported being routinely armed. After multiple terrorism incidents, by 2017, that number was 34%.
Mentality looked to be changing in New Zealand too, where police have patrolled without guns since the late 1800s. The country recently trialled Armed Response Teams - which involve putting at least three armed officers on constant patrol - in areas with large Maori and Pasifika populations. Both populations are already significantly more likely to be victims of police violence.
“Police have never been shy about just physically beating people,” said Emilie Rākete, a spokesperson from the Arms Down NZ campaign, which aims to prevent routine armed patrols.
“Disarmament isn't a one-off solution to the problem of police racism, but taking a gun off someone means that someone may be beaten, injured, harassed, arrested, but they won’t be killed.”
“This is what we’ve been reduced to fighting for through years and years of police authoritarianism. This is an important thing for us to fight for, to defend the lives of our community,” she said. Ms Rākete says there is an historically grounded fear of police among Māori.
“By arming themselves the cops are heightening this antagonism, making the distinction between themselves and us even sharper.
“When you have a hammer, everything looks like a nail. When you give a police officer a gun and say your job is to solve problems, they will use a gun to solve problems,” she said.
On Tuesday (9th June 2020), New Zealand decided to scrap Armed Response Teams after strong community pushback.
Rethinking Policing
Police do not have an easy job. They put themselves in harm's way. And there’s no doubt that firearms are non-negotiable in some circumstances. Is a gun necessary against, say, a teenage boy in his own home?
“Guns have brought us traumas,” said Warlpiri Elder Ned Jampijinpa Hargraves, from the remote NT community of Yuendumu. That’s where 19-year-old Kumanjayi Walker was killed last year, shot three times by an officer - who has since been charged with murder, and has signalled he will plead not guilty.
A crowdfunding effort is still underway to facilitate an independent inquiry into his death and the case will be back in court June 25.
“There is no need to shoot someone to the limit when he’s already gone, he’s already dead... Why would you shoot a person three times?” Mr Hargraves said.
He says the community is terrified and pleading for change.
“We would like to see right across Central Australia, guns to be put away. And we are saying that right from here [the heart], because it makes us uncomfortable in our own community. We have been disrespected.”
Why then, are guns still there? When the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths In Custody back in 1991 said cops should listen to the community.
“We are saying this again and again and again. Politicians, pay attention to our needs. We are crying out and saying to you, enough is enough, we do not want guns. Guns is not our culture,” Mr Hargraves said.
The Royal Commission also emphasised community policing practices, where officers are there to engage, not coerce, making allies of residents through communication, not control. While sound research shows that less coercive policing processes have better outcomes in building relations and increasing cooperation, we don’t need the research to tell us what those with lived experience have been saying over and over again.
Since that Royal Commission, there have been 437 Aboriginal deaths in custody.
The Verdict
We can argue the point of whether general cops on patrol in Australia need guns. But when it comes to police in remote communities like Yuendumu, those communities have made it clear for a long time. Just take away their guns.
