Great Britain has always had an unarmed, civilian police force and a policy of policing by consent. Police officers carrying guns as a matter of routine on the streets of our cities, towns and villages is deeply disturbing. Standing Firearms Authorities were introduced in 2009 and Chief Constables in the former Strathclyde, Tayside and Northern constabularies implemented this practice. Now that the operational decision has been taken by the Chief Constable of Police Scotland to implement SFA nationally, the matter has been drawn to the attention of the public. Armed officers on patrol or attending incidents where firearms are not required are a danger to the public and to themselves as well as a potential target for criminal or terrorist activity. The policy must be reversed with immediate effect.