Police Militarization Considered in Australia

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Five of the terrorist attacks (including one planned attack) in Australia since 2014 have involved knives as the primary weapon. Two involved shotguns; one involved a handgun. The two incidents involving shotguns were sieges in which specialist response teams were deployed. None of the incidents involved the use of military-style rifles.

Australia’s Victoria Police recently flagged the possibility of arming its frontline officers with military-grade rifles. The reasoning put forward was that it would enhance their abilities to respond to a major security incident or terrorist attack.

Heightened concerns over terrorism and claims of an escalation in gun-related crime have led to calls for Australian police to gain more widespread access to military-style rifles. Two propositions need to be satisfied to support giving more police such weaponry. There must be both a credible threat and an identified deficiency in current police capabilities. To date, a convincing case has not been made for either, according to abc.net.au.

Military-style rifles are already available to some police in Australia on a limited basis in some jurisdictions. Last year, Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton ruled out such a move due to the look and feel of the weapons, and the confronting style of such policing.

The Victorian moves come soon after the Queensland Police Union called for military rifles to be issued to general duty officers.

Part of the concern about any move to arm frontline police with military hardware is the rise of the “warrior cop phenomenon” that’s been seen in the US, a mentality that provides an illusive, dangerous and false sense of security.