Saw it coming in Victoria a mile away:
“Victorian police are set to be armed with military-style semi-automatic rifles as part of a contentious proposal designed to combat terrorism and the proliferation of gun-related crime.
The Age understands that police bosses are poised to give officers broader access to powerful long-arm guns to deal with high-risk incidents, such as sieges and terror events. The weapons were likely to be stored in cars under lock and key, and some general duty police may have the authority to use the guns before Special Operations Group officers attended a scene.
Talk of the plan comes eight months before the Victorian election, where law-and-order will be a central battleground between the Andrews government and Matthew Guy’s Coalition.
It also follows a broader shift to ensure police are better equipped to do their job: last Saturday, for instance, The Age reported riot police would be armed with new arsenal, including pepper-ball guns and rubber-pellet grenades to confront violent demonstrations, street battles and prison uprisings.
And of course, the Police Association chimed in:
“We have for some time advocated for the provision of long-arm weapons for police to deal with the heightened terror threat, the potential for increased firepower pre or post a terror incident and to provide an adequate regional response capability to armed offender situations until metropolitan resources arrive to assist,” Police Association secretary Wayne Gatt said.
The usual “military style” rubbish but it’s The Age. And as usual, the Greens and Gun Control Australia nowhere to be seen on this because it’s the government doing it.
Bear in mind this is the same Victoria Police and Labor Government who just a few weeks ago rammed through warrantless search powers under the guise of Firearm Prohibition Orders, jacked up licencing fees, reclassified the Riverman OAF and continues to attack hunting.
The hypocrisy in the language appears again. Semi-auto centrefire rifles are ok for Police but not for citizens: they’re just killing machines and the next mass shooters in waiting. Newspeak down to a tea.
What are the training standards? Australian Police aren’t trained well enough with their hand guns and we’re now to expect General Duties Police to also be on point with a Cat D firearm?
Further, how long before one or more of these go missing? Will they be left in a backpack in a McDonald’s or in a detectives’ car overnight? Or will a Police employee start thieving them? Victoria Police infamously could not account for 200 firearms back in 2010.
Above all, just who are you arming up against that you feel the need for these firearms?
We’ve said it before but we’ll say it again, this is an admission of failure of our so-called “world class” gun laws.
As if things weren’t bad enough freedom wise at every other level in Australia. Let’s not mince words and we’re not trying to sound alarmist but we’re delving deeper into a Police state in this country, particularly in Victoria.
NZ firearm owners can own an AR15 on a Category A licence and the sky hasn’t fallen in over there:
If Australian Police can have Category D firearms then there is no reason law abiding citizens can’t also have them. The current restrictions on Category D firearms to licenced shooters are nonsensically onerous, serve no real purpose and need to be scrapped. It is particularly hypocritical from Police, that do not even allow Australian citizens to carry so much as a pepper spray to defend themselves with.
If Australian Police had these firearms and weren’t taking the same off of law abiding citizens, we wouldn’t have a problem.
We have a big problem with them doing the exact opposite.
“Victorian police are set to be armed with military-style semi-automatic rifles as part of a contentious proposal designed to combat terrorism and the proliferation of gun-related crime.”
and there we have it. the justification for LAFOs to not just own semi autos, but with appropriate training, concealed carry.
If the situation is so dire that inadequately trained police officers are to be issued Cat D rifles, then it justifies LAFOs having the option to purchase and use semi autos in their own defence.
Given that the police are, at best, second responders to terrorist events and standard crimes (the victim being the first responder), surely we have to be prepared to allow the first responders to equip themselves to face the threat that the Govt is pointing out?
Completely agree with you. It’s great to see I am not alone on this issue. Astonishing that no one will talk about NZ’s allowed to have AR15’s in Cat A! I didn’t know that and it seems like their gun laws are pre 1996-ish.
Yes, we are a police like state. Australia is very communist. Most people don’t see it though.
Yet again I learnt something by reading these articles. Thanks…
People winge complain and so on but noting ever gets done about it no mass protest no flooding the government with letters e mails and so on noting the A’s usual she be right ay attitude in Australia is getting old just like mass migration she be right ay lots of face book pages and no action there is NO reason why law abiding can’t have a semi auto AR15 just because they can and the bull shit laws of why you need it etc etc how about just because I want one and because I like guns and shooting ? As it states at the top of the page 1million Australians I find that hard to believe I encourage EVERYONE to get fire arms licence also get kids into shooting and ignoring left wing retards and the commie greens same deal with less lethal forms of self defence those laws need to change wether it be less lethal or lethal force if your life is in danger you have seconds to react not call the police and wait 30 min or longer in that time your dead or seriously hurt.