BALLARAT Police have begun semi-automatic rifle training, to ensure there is a swift response if a terrorist attack or active armed offender incident occurs in the region.
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More than 150 frontline and uniform police from Senior Sergeant rank and below will undertake the semi-automatic rifle user training course in Ballarat, which teaches them how to use the firearms safely and competently, police said.
Training began this month and is forecast to finish by the end of 2021.
While police carry a semi-automatic pistol as part of their day-to-day duties, the semi-automatic rifle training will ensure that if a terrorist incident were to unfold or an armed offender takes to the streets in the region, local police can respond efficiently without needing to wait for support from specialist units in Melbourne.
Ballarat police are among 700 police officers that will be trained to use the semi-automatic rifles, with 300 distributed to key areas of the state.
Police would not disclose how many of the AR-15 semi-automatic rifles would be provided to Ballarat for operational reasons.
Related coverage: Ballarat police to be trained to use semi-automatic rifles
In addition to police in Ballarat, police at three other 24-hour stations - Geelong, Morwell and Shepparton - will be trained to use the weapons, in addition to police officers from the Public Order Response Team (PORT).
The four regional stations were selected to ensure there would be a "strengthened response in key regional areas" if a critical incident were to unfold, police said.
PORT, meanwhile, was selected as they are a frontline support unit which can be deployed anywhere in the state in response to major events or during other high-risk times.
While the semi-automatic rifles (supplied by Huntsman Aus) have now been provided to Ballarat police, they will only be operationally deployed to those who have completed the training course.
Police will not patrol the streets with the rifles, which will be securely stored in police stations or in police vehicles and will not be seen by the public.
The region's Acting Superintendent, Damien Christensen, said the new semi-automatic rifles would give police working in regional Victoria more tactical options should they be required to respond to a critical incident.
"While we hope we never have to use these weapons, it's important that we adapt to emerging trends and be prepared for any scenario that might occur in our community," he said.
"However, we want to reassure the community that officers will not be patrolling the streets with the rifles. Unless police are responding to a critical incident, the community won't see them."
We want to reassure the community that officers will not be patrolling the streets with the rifles. Unless police are responding to a critical incident, the community won't see them.
- Acting Superintendent Damien Christensen
The training is part of a number of initiatives which have given police greater powers to stop an attack.
In October last year, police were given greater powers to stop a hostile vehicle attack - such as by being able to shoot an offender or ram their vehicle if they are deemed to pose a significant risk.
There have been a number of incidents involving offenders ramming police cars in Ballarat in the last year.
The initiative to roll out the semi-automatic rifles was announced in December last year.
The rollout of the semi-automatic rifles was funded by a $25 million investment from the state government, as part of its Community Safety Statement 2018/19.