Police were searching for a person who was considered dangerous and possibly armed, when Sidney residents spotted officers wielding semi-automatic rifles.

On Saturday, July 8, Sidney North Saanich RCMP officers were acting on a request by the Saanich Police, who were looking for a person they said might have been at a home in Sidney, in the Resthaven Drive and Harbour Road area between 3 and 3:30 p.m. Rosalyne Brand emailed the B次元官网网址 Review, concerned about the show of force.

B次元官网网址淚 was stunned to see a solitary RCMP officer walking without a hat and carrying semi-automatic rifle, possibly an M16. If such a show of force was required why were there no other officers present and traffic diverted?B次元官网网址� she wrote.

Staff Sergeant Wayne Conley of the local RCMP detachment says police use of the carbine rifle B次元官网网址� which does look like a shortened version of the M-16 military rifle (or C7, Canadian military version) B次元官网网址� is the new normal when officers are responding to potentially dangerous situations.

B次元官网网址淲e did call a few people back after they called us asking what was going on,B次元官网网址滳onley said. B次元官网网址淪aanich Police had indicated the person they were looking for might have been at a residence in Sidney and was possibly armed.B次元官网网址�

Police responding to such calls B次元官网网址� potential high-risk situations B次元官网网址� are generally equipped with the carbine rifles, he said.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 just being prepared for high-risk situations.B次元官网网址�

RCMP across the country have been slated to receive the rifles B次元官网网址� and corresponding training B次元官网网址� for years, and the issue came to a head in Moncton, New Brunswick in 2014. In that instance, a man shot five officers, killing three and raising the issue of a lack of carbine rifles among officers in such situations.

B次元官网网址淚 hope that using such a show of force in Sidney is done only under the most dire of conditions and with the safety of the general public in mind,B次元官网网址� Brand wrote.

Conley said even a relatively quiet community like Sidney is not immune to serious incidents, noting police response a few weeks ago to a pair of incidents where people had barricaded themselves. Those incidents ended peacefully.

B次元官网网址淚 think people can be shocked when they see a member with a carbine,B次元官网网址� Conley noted. B次元官网网址淏ut they shouldnB次元官网网址檛 be.B次元官网网址�

He said officers are trained in their use and only use the rifles in situations deemed potentially high-risk.

In the case on Saturday, July 8, the person sought by police was not at the Sidney residence.