Nixon told to rearm force with automatic handguns

Age, Page: 1. Thursday, 15 May, 2008

An expert committee has recommended that police be rearmed with new multiple-shot semi-automatic pistols despite Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon ‘s public reluctance to authorise the weapons upgrade.
The controversy over police firearms resurfaced yesterday after the Police Association claimed the policeman injured during a fatal gun battle in South Melbourne was trying to reload his six-shot revolver when hit.
Senior Constable David McHenry, 27, of Prahran police, was shot by Samir Ograzden, 25, who was allegedly armed with a semi-automatic pistol. The suspect was shot by police and died at the scene from blood loss.
All rounds in Senior Constable McHenry’s revolver had been discharged, but it is not known if the wounded policeman had tried to reload as he is yet to be interviewed by investigating detectives.
He is recovering after undergoing surgery yesterday morning in The Alfred hospital.
The external weapons advisory committee made up of community, academic, military and police representatives is believed to have concluded that the standard .38 Smith & Wesson revolver is no longer adequate.
A spokeswoman for Ms Nixon said that although no decision had been made on a weapons upgrade, “we are now preparing a business case on the issue of semi-automatic handguns”.
Police in the Northern Territory, NSW, Tasmania, Queensland and Western Australia all use Glock semi-automatic pistols.
Some senior police argue that semi-automatics such as the Glock are prone to accidental discharges while being loaded or unloaded.
But a new generation of semiautomatics, such as the 15-shot Smith & Wesson Military and Police pistol, has built-in safety functions to avoid accidental misfires.
The weapon will be introduced in the South Australian police force later this year, leaving Victoria Police as the only remaining force using the old style revolver.
A sturdy and reliable weapon, the .38 revolver is now listed as an antique firearm and parts are no longer made for the gun.
Ms Nixon remains concerned about rearming police with more powerful weapons.
She said last week: “What we’ve been looking at is, what’s the evidence? Why would you need a gun that fires 18 shots? Do we have any evidence we really do need that kind of firepower?
“We’ve had an external working party look at the possibility of using semi-automatics, or what other kind of firearm might be suitable for us, in the not-too-distant future, we’ll release that decision of that process.”
In a 2006 pre-election deal with the Police Association, the State Government committed a further $10 million for “modern weapons, including Taser stun guns and semiautomatic handguns”.
But Ms Nixon said equipment and weapon issues were the responsibility of the Chief Commissioner and she would make decisions after receiving advice from the external committee.
Police Association secretary Paul Mullett asked: “What has happened to the bucket of money this Government provided the Victoria Police force to rearm our members with a semi-automatic weapon?”
“That process has gone off into the bureaucratic ether when our members should have been armed with the superior weapon over 12 months ago now.” He said the association could take legal action if it was found that inadequate equipment contributed to a police officer being shot.
Ms Nixon‘s spokeswoman said it had not been established that the injured policeman was reloading when shot and it was inappropriate to speculate during the early stages of the investigation.