Vic Police get new weapons

[thesoretoothsayer]

[David]

A panicked institutional reaction to a genuinely horrific but, in the broader historical context, relatively flash-in-the-pan (and seemingly already declining) method of terrorism (which students of history will recognise as a phenomenon that is not inherently related to multiculturalism, and which is also totally irrelevant to anything discussed so far in this thread). Nice try though.

[thesoretoothsayer]

People with an agenda will filter in the stories that suit their agenda and screen everything else out.

Pot. Kettle. Black.

[Wokko]

People with an agenda will filter in the stories that suit their agenda and screen everything else out.

Pot. Kettle. Black.

[stui magpie]

Up until 30 years ago, the only weapon carried by our Police was a baton.
I think the results of mass immigration over the last 2 decades, quite clearly speaks for itself.

It really doesn't. It could point to social breakdown for other reasons (Mugwump would blame the '60s; others might blame neoliberalism and the decline of community); or, it could point to an increase in authoritarianism and the militarisation of our police forces. But as they say, everything looks like a nail to a hammer.

OK, a couple of things here.

Firstly, Skids, why do you think Police have only carried guns in the last 30 years? They didn't fight bushrangers by throwing sticks at them, they've always had guns except maybe foot patrol in the cities. I grew up in the NSW bush and the cops there carried revolvers as a side arm in the 70's.

David, whatever the cause, it's clear that Police have evolved in response as society has evolved. As respect for authority has generally diminished (ask a school teacher) and Police found themselves more in physical danger trying to do their job (which is to protect us) they've had to be better armed and more willing to use force to maintain peace.

The number of protests we see lately that are far from peaceful is but one trigger for the better arms. These idiots vandalise property and physically assault other people and the Police trying to stop them. These weapons are a non-lethal way to regain control of situations without putting the Police members in physical danger.

[David]

[thesoretoothsayer]

I stand corrected. Apologies.
I did think it was wide of the mark when I posted it.
However, in this case, your insistence that things like concrete bollards, stocking up on riot gear etc. etc. is in no way related to the arrival of folks with disparate ideologies and cultures seems either naive or ideologically-driven.

[stui magpie]

I don't think anyone could deny that the concrete bollards and the enhanced security at sporting events was a direct result of the threat of Islamic extremist terrorist acts.

[David]

^ Partially (certainly, they would have been influenced by overseas terrorist attacks), though it's worth noting that, as far as we can tell, neither of the two actual occurrences in Melbourne that preceded their implementation were.

[Pies4shaw]

Fixed

[stui magpie]

^

And the lesson is that is, the authorities prevented many attacks. The ones that got through were off the grid.

[Pies4shaw]

A lot of money to be made in bollards.

[think positive]

What size do you want? Safety yellow? Happy to quote!