Because it happened in the centre of London, I dread to think how long the armed response time would be if this had happened in a provincial town on a Saturday night.
A copper these days knows if he confronts a terrorist a stick and a pepper spray means he's likely to die, It's OK for everyone to say first responders were heroes but 20k a year to become the first to die doesn't sound very appealing
I'm sad to say it but I really think the first copper on the scene needs to be able to deal with the incident effectively , not be the first to get stabbed, shot or blown up, IMO that means the days of waving sticks are gone, if the British transport police officer had been armed this could all have been over in 2 minutes, not with 30+ people dead or with life changing injuries in 8 minutes.
In the past I've seen coppers with guns abroad and felt uneasy with it but those days have gone, on a recent trip to Barcelona, I was reassured by the guns they carried and the fitness of their police, even guys in their 40s looked like they could run a 5 minute mile.
Things need to change and fast