Woodstock police will join a growing number of municipal police forces equipped with military-style assault rifles, the department announced Wednesday, something experts said could cause residents some concern.

The Woodstock Police department’s just-announced purchase of military-style carbine rifles should be a cause of concern for city residents, a use-of-force expert says.

Kevin Walby, an associate professor of criminal justice at the University of Winnipeg, said the adoption of this kind of assault weapon by local police is a “key ingredient” in the militarization of police, as many local departments become more like the armed forces.

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Adopting these rifles aren’t the only change but, “when you look at it as a whole, you wake up one morning and see your police force has entirely changed.”

Previously used only by the Woodstock police’s containment team, the newly purchased Colt C8 patrol carbine rifles will now be used by eight of the department’s regular-duty officers,” Woodstock Insp. Marci Shelton said.

“With the increase in gun violence, including areas around us, we felt we needed to be prepared and be proactive and educate and equip our officers with the best equipment we can,” she said.

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The rifles, police officials said, will only be used in higher-risk situations.

“It’s not a weapon you just take it out. It’s only for a major incident. We want (officers) to be seriously trained with this weapon,” Const. Mike Rusnak, the department’s trainer officer, said.

“We work on less lethal options such as pepper spray, baton and Taser. We want (officers) to focus on de-escalating a situation, talk them down and use a less lethal weapon or option if that’s available.”

Shelton said the C8 will be secured in the officer’s vehicle and only brought out for “high-risk situations” such as shootings, drug warrants or barricaded persons.

Walby acknowledged there are the spoken reasons for the adoption of assault rifles – increases in shootings, more violent crime or high-powered weapons facing police.

But, he said, his research has found there are also unspoken reasons, such as “keeping up with the Joneses” and the idolization of tactical police.

“They want to have what other police forces have,” Walby said.

But, he added, it’s not just about the tools police carry – it’s about the social and cultural context of a police department that determines how the weapons are used, for better or worse. Walby said his research has shown the use of tactical or SWAT teams has grown across the country, even for regular situations such as traffic control and mental heath, and more departments are ordering military style weapons and armoured cars.

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Citizens should be worried they don’t have enough say in policing. More community forums and public consultation is needed before police make major changes such as adopting military-style rifles, he said.

And is it necessary? That’s a complicated question, Walby said.

“They are planning for the worst case scenario . . . the worst case, a public shooter,” he said.

“But are there other things that money could be spent on in Woodstock, are there other social, health, community issues that could be funded instead?”

Mary Anne Silverthorn, Woodstock’s police services board chair, said the board reviewed the purchase of the rifles as part of the 2020 budget process as replacements for other guns. The discussions about purchasing the rifles began under recently retired chief Bill Renton and is ongoing, she said.

The C8 costs about $2,000 brand new, but Shelton said they were about $800 each since Woodstock bought them from a disbanded police department.

Rusnak said the officers received three days of advanced training at an outdoor range outside of Woodstock. A written test was also required while officers trained in the C8 will take part in regular training, he added.

“The majority of the guns we see and seize in the city are long rifles, which are quite dangerous,” Rusnak said. “Our pistols aren’t very accurate beyond 42 feet, so it’s important to have something we can either match or one up if the public is in danger.”

Woodstock isn’t alone in the move to high-powered carbine rifles.

Police services in cities such as Hamilton, St. Thomas, Toronto and Calgary have recently added similar rifles to their arsenals.

Colt C8 Patrol Carbine Rifle