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It was fairly controversial when the Australian Government recently decided to have submachine gun-armed Federal Police provide security at our national Parliam
by jdub 10y ago
It was fairly controversial when the Australian Government recently decided to have submachine gun-armed Federal Police provide security at our national Parliament House. It was rationalised by claims of terrorist threats, of course.
To an Australian, it's very weird to see submachine guns at all, let alone around our national buildings.
(Another thing to consider about different attitudes: There's a bunch of interesting politicisation about the terms "Police Force" vs. "Police Service" in some jurisdictions around the world, to the point that, in general, conservatives prefer "force", progressives prefer "service".)
- 0xADEADBEE 10y agoIs this correct? I lived in Australia last year and frequently saw police with firearms. I'm guessing it varies from state to state, but isn't a sidearm predominantly standard issue?
- jdub 10y agoYes, state cops on the beat have pistols. The special AFP officers who guard parliament house (who replaced private security contractors) have submachine guns.