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wicked_police
10-23-2011, 12:02 AM
22 Oct 2011 Edmonton Journal Global News With files from Postmedia News

Mounties will get more firepower
Frontline officers will be outfitted with new assault rifles

The Mounties are set to get a massive upgrade to their arsenal next year with the delivery of high-powered assault rifles.

In the wake of deadly firefights in Mayerthorpe, Alta., and another in Spiritwood, Sask., the national police force will arm its front line officers with C-8 patrol carbines — weapons similar to the U.S. military’s M-16. The C-8 is a variant of the rifle used by soldiers in the Canadian Forces

Right now, officers are equipped with pistols and have access to shotguns and rifles, but the C-8 will offer increased accuracy and rate of fire for the sometimes-overwhelmed Mounties.

The RCMP has also ordered 2,000 sets of hard body armour designed to give officers better protection than the Kevlar vests they currently wear.

In 2005, armed with a high-powered hunting rifle, James Roszko confronted police on his farm in the rural Alberta town of Mayerthorpe after the RCMP discovered a marijuana grow-op on his property.
Roszko shot and killed all four officers and then turned the rifle on himself.

Two other men are behind bars for aiding Roszko.

Shawn Hennessey and Dennis Cheeseman gave Roszko the rifle and drove him to the isolated farm. Cheeseman has about six years left to serve while Hennessey has approximately nine years remaining.

A year later, two officers were killed and a third wounded in Spiritwood after police tracked down Curtis Dagenais on an assault complaint.

The shootout began outside the rural Saskatchewan town when Dagenais stopped the pickup truck he was driving and opened fire. The two officers who died suffered head wounds and died in hospital days later.

Dagenais is currently serving a life sentence, with no chance for parole for about another 23 years.

Tamara
10-24-2011, 07:03 AM
I suppose if I can keep a carbine around for emergencies, then the po-po can, too. ;)

(Although I'm a little surprised that the RCMP didn't issue patrol carbines already? They've got a pretty substantial history with long guns in general. I mean, wasn't the Winchester 1876 practically synonymous with "Mountie"?)

wicked_police
10-24-2011, 08:57 AM
It's pretty much all about politics and money. More equipment means more initial spending to get the kit, more money spent on training and upkeep of that training, and more money spent of spares, repairs, and ammo.

For the political side, back in the days of an 870 between the front seats in every car, we had the top-folding stock. The reason wasn't to save space in the car. The folding stock was picked because when the public looked into the police car, they wouldn't see the stock of a gun sticking up between the seats. This in turn would make the police more approachable and appear less threatening.
Gotta love how management thinks.....



The stupidest part of the patrol carbine project now, is that the Mayerthorpe incident was used as a driving force to get this finally going. Mayerthorpe wouldn't have changed much, if at all, had the carbines been available to the members. It was a devastating ambush from an extremely motivated individual. Even if the guys would have had carbines with them as they walked into the hut, things wouldn't have been different.

Coyotesfan97
10-24-2011, 11:25 AM
I know a RCMP K9 Handler who was one of the first on scene after the auto theft detectives engaged Roszko and he shot himself. He assisted in clearing the Quonset hut and the property. His debrief of the incident was sobering. I saw him debrief it at a K9 seminar and I asked him to debrief it for SWAT the next time he was in town.

You could tell it still effected him. The PowerPoint he had about the lives of the downed Mounties and their funeral was haunting. Too bad there was so much dust in the air of the auditorium....:(

I agree with wicked police that the ambushed Mounties there wouldn't have had time to deploy rifles.

wicked_police
10-24-2011, 11:37 AM
If it's the dog handler I'm thinking of, I know him too. Had a couple really good talks with him about it. Haven't seen or talked with him in a long time though... Last I had any contact, he was still in Alberta and I was in BC.

And I'm in Ottawa now...

Coyotesfan97
10-24-2011, 12:23 PM
His initials are JM. IIRC he was in the Edmonton area. I haven't seen him for awhile. (makes mental note to send an email) He was coming down to the Phoenix Metro area to instruct tracking during our annual dog trials. The other incidents he's been involved in are incredible debriefs too.

wicked_police
10-24-2011, 01:23 PM
Yup. That's him. I'll have to send him an e-mail as well.

ToddG
10-24-2011, 02:49 PM
Having spoken to w_p about Mayerthorpe, I'd agree that increased firepower would not have made a difference. But if that incident was the motivation that RCMP HQ needed to arm its Mounties better (and provide them with better armor), then at least something positive came out of the tragedy. It may not have saved anyone on that day in 2005, but it may save a Mountie's life in 2012.

Coyotesfan97
10-24-2011, 05:20 PM
Having spoken to w_p about Mayerthorpe, I'd agree that increased firepower would not have made a difference. But if that incident was the motivation that RCMP HQ needed to arm its Mounties better (and provide them with better armor), then at least something positive came out of the tragedy. It may not have saved anyone on that day in 2005, but it may save a Mountie's life in 2012.

+1

Failure2Stop
10-26-2011, 11:02 AM
More good guys with better capability?
-insert golf-clap-

Kyle Reese
10-26-2011, 12:11 PM
Good stuff!