SYDNEY, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Riot police in the Australian State of New South Wales (NSW) are to be armed with high powered, military grade machine guns and given shoot to kill powers in order to deal with the threat of terrorism, Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced Thursday.
The upgrade in weaponry and police powers will be implemented in response to the findings handed down from the state coroner's inquest into the 2014 Lindt Cafe siege in Sydney, where a gunman took multiple hostages in a terrorist incident.
Following the 16-hour standoff that resulted in three deaths, tactical operations units came under heavy scrutiny for not taking action earlier.
"When you have a sniper sitting 300 meters away looking through a scope, they have to determine in their own minds that they have the legal ability to use lethal force," NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller told Xinhua on Thursday.
"And it's just impossible to make that decision at the moment with any certainty."
"What we are saying in this new power is, if you have a terrorist situation... and an officer needs to take the shot, then they will have my full support and the support of the government, as well as the community."
The commissioner believes that because the criminal environment, regarding the methodology of terrorists is changing so rapidly, the government also needs to adapt quickly in response.
Berejiklian echoed these sentiments, telling reporters "we have decided that there is nothing more important than public safety."
"When the parliament next meets, I will be introducing legislation in relation to recommendation 24 (from the inquiry), which will give our police the ability to use lethal force in a specific act of terror," Berejiklian said.
Since the siege, the Police Association of NSW have called for long arm weapons to be made available to officers, so they can better deal with active shooters.
The inquest also agreed with these recommendations and it is expected that military grade machine guns will be made assigned to public order, riot squad police before the end of the year.
At the moment long arm weapons are only used in tactical operations units and are seldom seen by citizens in public.
But when the new laws are introduced, it could mean that some officers may carry the machine guns in public areas at times when the security threat is significantly high.
NSW Police Minister Tony Grant admitted that "people may be confronted by it."
"However, people here in NSW and across the world understand the changed circumstances they are in... and will be comforted knowing that their police are better equipped to protect them," Grant said.
It has been speculated by local media that the new firearm will be the M4 Colt Carbine, an American made, gas operated assault rifle that's capable of firing up to 950 rounds per minute.
But Fuller said he has not yet chosen the specific weapon.
"We are going through a tender process," Fuller said.
"It is still going through a contractual arrangement, we are looking at a couple of different firearms."
