Changing of the guard: British bobbies to start packing heat

British authorities mull arming cops with guns, a break from history

LONDON -- At the Changing of the Guards ceremony at Buckingham Palace these days, the Queen’s guards also need guarding, by police officers who are dressed to kill.

And that is a big change from the way it used to be.

An armed British officer defends the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace CBS News

Traditionally, the only weapons British police carry are truncheons, or short clubs.

As correspondent Mark Phillips reports, about ten percent of the London police force is now trained to carry arms, a number the government wants to increase.

Watch the video above for more on the controversial plan.

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