In 2015, 39 law enforcement officers were killed by non-accidental firearms incidents. In 2015, 1208 civilians were killed by law enforcement officers. The risk to officer safety is not commensurate with the risk to civilians.
With the continued, high profile cases of unjustified shootings by police officers, it has become apparent that patrol officers cannot be trusted to exercise proper judgment on when to utilize lethal force. Firearms should be restricted to special reaction teams with exceptional training and experience.
Disarming patrol officers will be the first step in healing the growing breach between police and civilians in the United States.