Scotland - Police routinely armed

Outside Northern Ireland, the police forces (services ?) in the UK have not been routinely armed with guns for many decades now. There are specialist firearms units but the bobby on the beat does not carry a firearm.



This has now changed in Scotland:

Quote:

In a little-noticed move, a small number of police officers are now routinely carrying sidearms while on patrol in much of Scotland - the first in the UK outside Northern Ireland to do so.

http://ift.tt/1lzczuF



I wonder if this is the end of policing by consent.



I wonder if this will be reversed in the event that Scotland becomes independent.