More police are being threatened by criminals with guns.
The Police Association said a survey of its members showed 15% of front-line staff, nearly one in seven, were threatened at least once with a firearm last year.
That compared with 11% (one in nine) for 2008, the association said in its magazine Police News.
The survey also showed nearly half of front line staff (47%) were threatened with a weapon other than firearms last year. That figure was unchanged from the last survey in 2008.
Police Association president Greg O'Connor said in the magazine the figures confirmed a greater use of firearms by criminals against police.
"Not only are criminals proving themselves more willing to point guns at police, they are also proving themselves willing to pull the trigger.
"Faced with that kind of threat the only effective defence, and effective deterrent, is an armed police force," he said.
It was "pure luck" more police had not been killed.
He said the eight police officers who had been shot or "otherwise attacked" in the last two years were lucky to be alive.
Mr O'Connor said the association had renewed its call for police to be armed.
The attacks were no longer on young and inexperienced officers. He said experienced officers who knew how to de-escalate a potentially violent situation were also being attacked.
He rejected the argument that arming police would lead to a greater arming of criminals.
"They are already armed to protect themselves from other criminals and police are ending up as collateral damage."
