Should law enforcement officers be stripped of lethal arms? [View all]

In the UK:

>>The United Kingdom is made up of four constituent countries: England, Scotland, Wales (which make up Great Britain) and Northern Ireland. In Northern Ireland, all police officers carry firearms. In the rest of the United Kingdom, police officers do not carry firearms, except in special circumstances. This originates from the formation of the Metropolitan Police Service in the 19th century, when police were not armed, partly to counter public fears and objections over armed enforcers as this had been previously seen due to the British Army maintaining order when needed. The arming of police in Great Britain is a perennial topic of debate.<<

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police_use_of_firearms_in_the_United_Kingdom

Seems to work well there.