(to link back to my original post)
In America AutoMatic weapons ARE illegal.

"I live in England. For most of my career, I was a college lecturer"

England is a Small country --- land mass-wise compared for the US ---Atantic to the Pacific.
By the way how's that Mayor of London thing working out for you: 'banning knives'?

The watchword here is ---"You don't need a Gun, Call 911"

A small sample of Headlines prior to March 31, 2020

AP News says 20% of Detroit's police force is now in quarantine; two officers have died from COVID-19, and 39 tested positive.

"We're in war footing against an invisible enemy and we are on the verge of running out of protective supplies," said Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo, president of the Major Cities Chiefs Association. "We've got hospitals calling police departments, police departments calling each other, and it's time to nationalize in terms of our response."

Former Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis said the virus is unlike anything any law enforcement force has ever dealt with:

"We're in unprecedented territory here," said Davis, who was the top cop in Boston during the 2013 marathon bombing.

AP says 10% of NYPD officers called in sick on Friday, straining the force and jeopardizing the safety of civilians: