“Although in most other industrialised nations, cops don’t carry guns.”
That used to be the case in a tiny minority of countries: “In some countries including the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom , Norway, Iceland, and New Zealand police do not carry firearms unless the situation is expected to involve gunfire from the opposing force.”
After 9/11 and ISIS, police in the UK and New Zealand do carry weapons, and I’d be surprised if that’s not the case in Ireland, Norway and Iceland too. These days any “ situation is expected to involve gunfire from the opposing force.” The police have to be prepared for a terrorist attack anywhere, any time.