It's also the case that it's a hell of a lot easier to find something around you that's a better weapon than a knife, than it is with a gun (basically impossibl

It's also the case that it's a hell of a lot easier to find something around you that's a better weapon than a knife, than it is with a gun (basically impossible, unless the thing you find is also a gun), which enhances its tendency to be a "first strike, or else don't even show it" weapon, rather than one useful for deterrence without violence. > Note that the UK has police armed with guns, but not police armed with knives. Yup. The set of qualities that make knives desirable weapons for criminals don't make them good weapons generally. The cops have very different restrictions (fewer restrictions, that is) and goals. A truncheon plus some strong mace are probably much, much better for their purposes than a knife would be.