History Main / CrooksAreBetterArmed

* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Zetas Los Zetas]]: Originally Ex Mexican special forces deserters turned into cartel enforcers and eventually started their own cartel. Due to their extreme effectiveness, they helped kick off the militarization of the Mexican cartels. Los Zetas are considered the most dangerous cartel and use advanced tactics such as constructing [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narco_tank narco tanks]], which are pickup trucks with improvised armor, weapons, and (sometimes) a battering ram.

* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Zetas Los Zetas]]: Originally Ex Mexican special forces deserters turned into cartel enforcers and eventually started their own cartel. Due to their extreme effectiveness, they helped kick off the militarization of the Mexican cartels. Los Zetas are considered the most dangerous cartel and use advance tactics such as [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narco_tank narco tanks]], which are pickup trucks with improvised armor, weapons, and sometimes battering ram.

** "Borderline" from the [[VideoGame/CallOfDutyModernWarfareII 2022 sequel to the rebbot]] is a Zig-Zagged example; one one hand, Rodolfo (your player character) starts out with only a pistol, while Vargas (your ally) is armed with a submachine gun. On the other hand, the Texas PD is only armed with pistols. The latter got blindsided when the Cartel launch a surprise attack with an RPG. Even if the police managed to see it coming, their performance will be similar to what the British police have experienced back in 2019 as the Cartel are armed with automatic weapons.

* In ''Manga/TriageX'', the terrorist group, Syringe, have access to a V-22 Osprey, a VTOL ''only'' used by the United States Marine Corps and the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force. [[spoiler:If the Fake Makoto is to believed, they have created prototype weapons, that Western militaries haven't fielded yet, that are combat worthy.]]

* It's established early in ''Film/AssaultOnPrecinct131976'' that the Street Thunder gang have gotten hold of a stash of stolen firearms, including scoped M16 rifles and [[CoolGuns Broomhandle Mauser pistols]]--the latter isn't exactly a government issue weapon, so they must have been stolen from a private collector. However when it comes to the final battle in the basement the firearms have mysteriously disappeared, enabling the protagonists to [[ConservationOfNinjutsu hold the gang members off with a makeshift barricade and clubs]].

** Benglait started out playing this straight, as shown in its revolution (rather violent but with a death toll relatively low because the revolutionaries were so much better armed that [[KnowWhenToFoldEm cops and soldiers tended to surrender]]). As a direct consequence of the revolution, plus their terrorism problem and Diabolik's frequent visits, Benglait cops are now as well-armed as their colleagues from Clerville.

* The criminals and terrorists that the protagonist fights in the ''The Scramble Vice'' have access to military-grade exoskeletons (the term for HumongousMecha) and military vehicles. The regular police were so woefully outgunned and outmatched against these criminals, that the titular unit have to be deployed to stand a chance against them.

* In ''Film/RoboCop1987,'' Dick Jones, an exec in OCP which owns the police, wants Robocop destroyed, so he supplies Clarence's gang with [[{{Main/BFG}} "the Cobra Assault Cannon"]], a .50 caliber rifle firing armor-piercing explosive rounds. Robocop uses one to completely destroy an ED-109 guarding the entrance to OCP headquarters.
* In ''Film/RoboCop2'', the same gun only knocks [=RoboCain=] off balance for a moment without doing any damage, showing just how tough [=RoboCain=] is.

* The criminals and terrorists that the protagonist fights in the ''The Scramble Vice'' have access to military-grade exoskeletons (the term for HumongousMecha) and military vehicles. The regular police are so woefully outgunned and outmatched against these criminals, that the titular unit have to be deployed to stand a chance against them.

* The criminals and terrorists that the protagonist fights in the ''The Scramble Vice'' have access to military-grade exoskeletons (the term for HumongousMecha) and military vehicles, to the point that the titular unit have to be deployed to stand a chance against them.

** "Borderline" from the [[VideoGame/CallOfDutyModernWarfareII 2022 sequel to the rebbot]] is a Zig-Zagged example; one one hand, Rodolfo (your player character) starts out with only a pistol, while Vargas (your ally) is armed with a submachine gun, while the Texas PD is only armed with pistols. The latter got blindsided when the Cartel member launch a surprise attack with an RPG. Even if the police managed to see it coming, their performance will be similar to what the British police have experienced back in 2019 as the Cartel are armed with automatic weapons.

** To be fair, it should be noted that Kersey started out with a [[MoreDakka belt-fed machine gun]], but there were so many bad guys he ''ran out of ammo'' for it

** In ''Film/RoboCop2'', the same gun only knocks [=RoboCain=] off balance for a moment without doing any damage, showing just how tough [=RoboCain=] is.

* ''Anime/DragonBallZ'': At the beginning of Great Saiyaman Saga, the cops in Satan City are struggling against heavily-armed bank robbers. Throughout the saga, [[PoliceAreUseless they're also heavily dependent]] on [[BadassNormal Videl]] and, unbeknownst to them, Gohan.

* The Saints and the Deckers in ''VideoGame/SaintsRowTheThird'' have cutting edge weapon tech, while Steelport police has your run-of-the-mill hardware. Subverted half-way through the game, though, when STAG (essentially, a beefed-up crime fighting agency) shows up in Steelport and fields futuristic weapon designs years ahead of everything the gangs have (but which they quickly appropriate).

* ''VideoGame/FossilFighters'': Wanted vivosaur thief Blambeau carries around a shotgun. The [[PoliceAreUseless unarmed and largely ineffective police force]] send [[KidHero Hunter]] after him. Thrice.
* ''VideoGame/MarvelFutureFight'': Red Skull uses a pistol, a rifle and the Cosmic Cube in his skills, and his basic attack is entirely built around firing guns as well.
* ''VideoGame/ModernWarfare''
** The main timeline games generally averts this, with the starting weapons for the player's faction being better or at least equivalent to whatever the non-western army or terrorists wield. The infamous "No Russian" mission is a downplayed case as while the Russian terrorists armed with military-grade weapons, explosives and body armor can make quick work of both all the innocents in the terminal, the airport security who are initially armed with pistols, are also issued with sub-machine guns to even the playing field... to no success. Even the responding Interal Force (Russian SWAT team) is only much of a challenge because of their numbers, as the terrorists use grenade launchers.
** The "Picadilly" mission from [[VideoGame/CallOfDutyModernWarfare2019 2019 reboot]] plays this straight however, in which terrorists armed with automatic weapons and suicide-vests tear up the titular Picadilly Circus in London. The British police and CTSFO on the scene start with only pistols (which the former don't carry in real life). Garrick even lampshades this at the end of the mission, saying that the government is holding them back by limiting how they can fight.
** "Borderline" from the [[VideoGame/CallOfDutyModernWarfareII 2022 sequel to the rebbot]] is a Zig-Zagged example; one one hand, Rodolfo (your player character) starts out with only a pistol, while Vargas (your ally) is armed with a submachine gun, while the Texas PD is only armed with pistols. The latter got blindsided when the Cartel member launch a surprise attack with an RPG. Even if the police managed to see it coming, their performance will be similar to what the British police have experienced back in 2019 as the Cartel are armed with automatic weapons.
* ''VideoGame/{{Yakuza}}'': Kiryu on occasions have encountered organized criminals that had access to weapons like rocket launchers, machine guns, and as well as a ''gatling gun'' (which is usually fired from helicopters). On the topic of helicopters with a gatling gunner inside, Kiryu has faced three of these, and took down two of them. The Amon Clan tops them by having access to a '''KillSat'''.

* Surprisingly {{Subverted}} (with the subversions being {{Justified}}) by the police forces usually featured in ''ComicBook/{{Diabolik}}'':

* Two incidents in ''Film/{{SWAT}}'':

* ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles'' opens with a police chase. The crooks open fire out their car's window with an automatic rifle, and the police shoot back with a pistol. [[ATeamFiring No-one gets hurt]] in the half-minute they spend driving around the block firing wildly.

The reason for this trope can vary. Sometimes it's because it's based on historical times when crooks were better armed than police or when criminal organizations like Mexican Cartels started hiring [[FromCamouflageToCriminal ex-special forces]] for muscle like Los Zetas. Sometimes it implies that the law enforcement is held back by HonorBeforeReason; they could do better against crooks if they'd use more deadly guns, but at the cost of looking like an occupying army. Police might also be restrained by the increased risk of collateral damage to innocent bystanders if they resort to high-powered or rapid-fire weaponry, while crooks are only bound by their personal opinions on the matter (and it's safe to assume that a criminal wouldn't go to the effort of acquiring high-powered weaponry if they weren't willing to use it). Other times it can seem like a critique against the United States' Second Amendment; why do we let the public gain such dangerous weapons legally?[[note]]In reality, military-grade ordnance like fully automatic weapons and explosives are not outright impossible for U.S. citizens to own, but lawful ownership is very, ''very'' strictly regulated, to the point that they might as well be banned to those without a lot of money and a very high tolerance for miles of red tape. Even getting them illegally would be an absurdly difficult task for your average street thug[[/note]] At its core, though, it's ultimately a way of increasing the stakes, so that the viewer roots for the underdogs.

** The main timeline games generally averts this, with the starting weapons for the player's faction being better or at least equivalent to whatever the non-western army or terrorists wield. The infamous ''No Russian'' mission is a downplayed case as while the Russian terrorists armed with military-grade weapons, explosives and body armor can make quick work of both all the innocents in the terminal, the airport security who are initially armed with pistols, are also issued with sub-machine guns to even the playing field... to no success. Even the responding Interal Force (Russian SWAT team) is only much of a challenge because of their numbers, as the terrorists use grenade launchers.
** The ''Picadilly'' mission from [[VideoGame/CallOfDutyModernWarfare2019 2019 reboot]] plays this straight however, in which terrorists armed with automatic weapons and suicide-vests tear up the titular Picadilly Circus in London. The British police and CTSFO on the scene start with only pistols (which the former don't carry in real life). Garrick even lampshades this at the end of the mission, saying that the government is holding them back by limiting how they can fight.
** ''Borderline'' from the [[VideoGame/CallOfDutyModernWarfareII 2022 sequel to the rebbot]] is a Zig-Zagged example; one one hand, Rodolfo (your player character) starts out with only a pistol, while Vargas (your ally) is armed with a submachine gun, while the Texas PD is only armed with pistols. The latter got blindsided when the Cartel member launch a surprise attack with an RPG. Even if the police managed to see it coming, their performance will be similar to what the British police have experienced back in 2019 as the Cartel are armed with automatic weapons.

%% * Zigzagged in ''VideoGame/MetalSlug'': your team of mercenaries come with a pistol and supply of small grenades against whole infantries. Even if you can get HEVEE MASHINE GUN or RAWKET LAWNCHAIR and the various Slugs later, your enemies will still have a lot of things under their sleeves. DeathOfAThousandCuts applies, though, so with enough shootings they'll all fall down.

%% * The Saints and the Deckers in ''VideoGame/SaintsRowTheThird'' have cutting edge weapon tech, while Steelport police has your run-of-the-mill hardware. Subverted half-way through the game, though, when STAG (essentially, a beefed-up crime fighting agency) shows up in Steelport and fields futuristic weapon designs years ahead of everything the gangs have (but which they quickly appropriate).

%% * In ''Film/RoboCop1987,'' Dick Jones, an exec in OCP which owns the police, wants Robocop destroyed, so he supplies Clarence's gang with military hardware.

%% * John Woo's Hard Boiled is a straight up example- near the end of the movie, the cops surround the hospital used by the BigBad as a front for their gun smuggling operations. Naturally, the criminals break out their armaments and tear into the cops laying siege to the hospital.

The reason for this trope can vary. Sometimes its because its based on historical times when crooks were better armed than police or when criminal organizations like Mexican Cartels started hiring [[FromCamouflageToCriminal ex-special forces]] for muscle like Los Zetas. Sometimes it implies that the law enforcement is held back by HonorBeforeReason; they could do better against crooks if they'd use more deadly guns, but at the cost of looking like an occupying army. Police might also be restrained by the increased risk of collateral damage to innocent bystanders if they resort to high-powered or rapid-fire weaponry. Other times it can seem like a critique against the United States' Second Amendment; why do we let the public gain such dangerous weapons legally?[[note]]In reality, military-grade ordnance like fully automatic weapons and explosives are not outright impossible for U.S. citizens to own, but lawful ownership is very, ''very'' strictly regulated, to the point that they might as well be banned to those without a lot of money and a very high tolerance for miles of red tape. Even getting them illegally would be an absurdly difficult task for your average street thug[[/note]] At its core, though, it's ultimately a way of increasing the stakes, so that the viewer roots for the underdogs.

* The [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Hollywood_shootout North Hollywood shootout]]: two gunmen, Larry Phillips and Emil Mătăsăreanu, held up a Bank of America in North Hollywood, Los Angeles on February 28, 1997. The LAPD ended up completely outgunned as the two gunmen were wearing body armor and armed with fully automatic assault rifles with armor-piercing rounds and custom [[MoreDakka drum magazines]], so the cops' service revolvers, pistols and shotguns were completely ineffective. The police actually raided a nearby gun shop for AR-15 rifles and commandeered an armored money transporter in order to fight back effectively (which actually turned out to be AllForNothing since by the time they got this equipment ready, the LAPD SWATTeam arrived and eliminated the second robber with their own AR-15s; the borrowed rifles never fired a single shot). After this incident, LAPD were regularly issued AR-15s in their squad cars. Many police departments across the United States followed suit in ordering rifles for their officers.

* Another terrible example was the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Mumbai_attacks Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist attack in Mumbai 2008.]] A team of ten terrorists armed with AK assault rifles, Soviet-derived light machine guns, and grenades horribly outmatched the local Indian police forces, the majority of which were armed with completely ''antiquated'' weapons such as Lee-Enfield bolt-action rifles, .32 & .38 caliber revolvers, and maybe a handful of 9mm pistols: most of these weapons were standard-issue during the '''First World War.''' As a result, the terrorists had almost totally free rein to murder and destroy for the first 12 hours until Indian Army commandos arrived on the scene, and it took almost 3 days for the last terrorist to be neutralized. By the time it was over, the terrorists had inflicted nearly 500 casualties, with 165 deaths, including 17 police officers and soldiers. 9 of the 10 terrorists were killed, while the 10th was arrested and swiftly executed for his crimes. Indian police underwent massive reforms and training after this incident, and SWAT Teams have been formed in almost every major Indian city to ensure a disastrous response like this does not happen again.

* The [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1986_FBI_Miami_shootout 1986 FBI Miami shootout]]: Former Army Ranger Michael Lee Platt and ex-Marine William Russell Matix were outnumbered 4 to 1 but kept the FBI pinned down thanks to superior firepower, which was provided solely by Platt's Mini-14 rifle (Matix had a 12-gauge shotgun, but only fired one shot that missed before he took a bullet to the head and was knocked out for much of the fight). Both criminals suffered multiple wounds (Platt 12 and Matix 6) before dying, and both were drug free. All but one of the FBI agents at the scene were killed or wounded. This incident lead the FBI to completely change its policies regarding the usage of semi-automatic pistols,[[note]]only 3 of the 8 agents at the scene had semi-auto sidearms as opposed to revolvers because at the time, the FBI required agents carrying semi-autos to pass more rigorous training protocols[[/note]] the wearing of body armor, and the development of the [[http://www.gunsholstersandgear.com/2019/02/26/fbi-ammunition-test-protocol-relevancy-to-self-defense/ FBI testing protocol]] to choose a more powerful handgun cartridge (which lead to the short-lived adoption of 10mm Auto and then the development of the .40 S&W caliber, which was the dominant cartridge of choice for American law enforcement for 25 years until the FBI and most [=LEOs=] switched back to 9mm around 2015).
* Another terrible example was the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Mumbai_attacks Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist attack in Mumbai 2008.]] A team of ten terrorists armed with AK assault rifles, Soviet-derived light machine guns, and grenades horribly outmatched the local Indian police forces, the majority of which were armed with completely ''antiquated'' weapons such as Lee-Enfield bolt-action rifles, .32 & .38 caliber revolvers, and maybe a handful of 9mm pistols: most of these weapons were standard-issue during the '''First World War.''' As a result, the terrorists had almost totally free rein to murder and destroy for the first 12 hours until Indian Army commandos arrived on the scene, and it took almost 3 days for the last terrorist to be neutralized. Indian police underwent massive reforms and training after this incident, and SWAT Teams have been formed in almost every major Indian city to ensure a disastrous response like this does not happen again.

** The "Picadilly" mission from [[VideoGame/CallOfDutyModernWarfare2019 2019 reboot]] plays this straight however, in which terrorists armed with automatic weapons and suicide-vests tear up the titular Picadilly Circus in London. The British police and CTSFO on the scene start with only pistols (which the former don't carry in real life). Garrick even lampshades this at the end of the mission, saying that the government is holding them back by limiting how they can fight.

** The "Picadilly" mission from [[VideoGame/CallOfDutyModernWarfare2019 2019 reboot]] plays this straight however, in which terrorists armed with automatic weapons and suicide-vests tear up the titular Picadilly Circus in London. The British police and SAS on the scene start with only pistols (which British beat-cops don't carry). Garrick even lampshades this at the end of the mission, saying that the government is holding them back by limiting how they can fight.