New guns for our police
Adelaide Advertiser, Page: 11. Tuesday, 11 March, 2008
The state’s 4000 police officers are to get semi-automatic handguns within a year.
SA Police are finalising the exact weapon through a tender process with gun manufacturers, although it is understood the frontrunner is a Glock Model 22.
The Glock handguns, common among law enforcement agencies around the world, are already used by police in NSW, Queensland, NT and WA. SA and Victoria are the only police jurisdictions not to use semi-automatic handguns, although Victoria Police yesterday said it was considering such a move.
The standard firearm issue for SA officers is a .357 Smith and Wesson revolver.
A spokeswoman for SA Police Commissioner Mal Hyde said a range of semi-automatic firearms had been evaluated and selected for tender.
She said when the tender process was complete and firearms were received, that “there will be a controlled trial before they are rolled out for general issue”.
The Advertiser understands a decision has already been made not to retain the Smith and Wesson revolvers and the trial will have little bearing on whether semi-automatic handguns should be adopted across the department. Rather, the trial will be used to determine exact training requirements, method of issue, type of firearm, choice of holster, lead exposure and hearing and eye protection for the general issue of the new firearms.
The trial, in two local service areas, will last about 12 months.
SA Police Association president Peter Alexander said the trial was a “done deal” and the plan was to “phase in” semi-automatic weapons.
“I don ‘t think it ‘s a trial as such they are not going to expend that sort of money for nothing the new weapons will be eventually rolled out right across the state,” Mr Alexander said.
Glock handguns are said to be very reliable, able to function under extreme conditions and fire a wide range of ammunition types.
Police Minister Paul Holloway said semi-automatic handguns “will need to be introduced progressively”, but their introduction was “subject to the success of the trial”.
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