Referencing a recent post on the type of guns police use in the state of Victoria recent changes in policy by Victoria police, as announced by the Police Commissioner, mean an estimated 6,500 semi-automatic weapons will be imported into Victoria (ref Herald Sun.com). While the use of Tasers has been ruled out at this stage, I notice Mr Mullet of the Police Association was quick to follow up with that as the next proposed weapon for Police use.
I'm wondering how heavily armed Victorian Police need to be? It is unfortunate that experience in NSW has shown that when Police have semi-automatic weapons, the criminal element increase their firepower to compensate (see the below referenced article).
Perhaps I need to spend more time with Police Officers. While I sympathize that they deal with the most offensive members of the community, they also deal with the rest of us. To serve and protect. Many excellent Police operations have been carried out to reduce illegal guns in the community and my belief is, that rather than upping the anti with increased firepower, more dedicated Police work such as that mentioned in the Sydney Morning Herald, gets rid of the guns carried by criminals and reduces violent crime.
So what sort of weapons will the Police be using? I hope the accountants don't come out and compromise the safety of Officers by choosing a weapon that is not fit for the job. Similarly, sufficient training dollars are invested to ensure Police are comfortable and competent with their arms.
Time will tell.
