sub title: attempted ram raid on Rolex shop in Leeds caught on camera

where were you earlier today @chunkythebulldog ?

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-leeds-43104639

 

I was actually in Prestons yesterday morning. They’ll have left empty handed as there was absolutely no stock of St St Rolex sports watches

 

No the greatest car for that purpuse

 

Were those police in the fluorescent uniforms? If so, what were they just standing there for? In the States the police would have immediately confronted a crime in progress like this one in particular (armed robbery) with guns drawn.

 

No that’s a workman

 

Was that a renault? I can only think that a renault has so much plastic around it that it would bounce off any self-respecting window.

@Rasputin the guy in hi-vis looks like a street cleaner. The police do wear hi-vis but usually only the jacket or vest. While the police here still are not routinely armed, they do have tasers and CS gas. Armed response in a city centre is usually no more than 10 minutes away. They are obscenely well trained; drive unmarked cars with side arms in the cabin (locked in an armrest type box between the seats until a call is received) with other weapons locked in the boot.

 

It seems 10 minutes is a long time without armed support though I understand firearms are overall more restricted in the UK.

 

It appears the Brits have quite the love of watches

 

Armed response in the UK tends to be restricted to situations where guns are present, terrorist incidents, or incidents in/around stations and airports.

"Overall more restricted" would be somewhat of an understatement.

 

Unfortunately you can’t tell the criminals “Hold on a sec...” until an armed response arrives. In this case the criminals were armed with a car that’s being used as a battering ram.

 

I'm not getting into a gun dispute here.

 

No desire to, Mate. Just opining that it would be a good idea to better arm the law enforcement in the UK.

 

Not wanting to start a debate either (this isn't the place and there's no answer to be found) but a car used this way would trigger an armed response. I'm sure it would be the same elsewhere, but the use of that car makes it a weapon. While response times might be a little faster if all officers were armed, I'd say that the 10 minutes (or so) is probably little different to what you might find in other countries.

From my background in a previous life, Royal Diplomatic Protection (SO6 and SO17); SO19 and similar ... these people are beyond professional; beyond "effective"; and, beyond responsible. They choose to accept the responsibilities of being firearms officers and the ramifications that choice brings. Given that access to firearms is ridiculously limited in the UK (minimum sentencing is 5 years simply for possessing an unlicenced firearm, and "firearm" is defined far wider than you might expect) I find it far more reasonable to have a small(er) number of trained firearm officers available at a few minutes notice than to have all officers routinely armed.

It works here. I accept that there are many countries in the world where it would not.

 

here is a fail in Houston a few weeks ago man should be ashamed of himself but if your going to steal go for the best http://cw39.com/2018/01/03/watch-man-hammers-into-rolex-case-at-memorial-city-mall-jewelry-store/ also had a robbery were the jeweler shot and killed two robbers and another where theaves nabbed 2 million in jewels, and every night smash stolen trucks into convenience stores cops are overworked

 

Ok. Is Leeds like nice area or a running joke in Britain? My knowledge of Leeds is limited to a Dr. Who episode where Donna Nobel’s family is relocated there. Turn Left was the episode back in 2008.

There aren’t any steel sport watches available anyway so why even try?

 

I love the quaint term "ram raid" - here in the US we are much more literal with our term for such an act: "smash-'n-grab"

 

Ah!
The term “ram raid” was coined when n‘er do wells stopped using hammers and started using cars.

 

Leeds is a small, quite nice and relatively affluent northern city.
But like most cities in the U.K. it has some pretty dodgy places cheek by jowl with nice areas.