Carbine rifles included in new Regina police budget

The Regina Police Serviceis including high-powered carbine rifles in its budget submission to the city.

On Monday, council received, but did not study in detail, the police service's $81 millionoperating budget and $2.7 million capital budget.

The capital budget contains $155,000 for emergency services equipment to support the introduction ofcarbine rifles to frontline police, plusupgrades tothe emergency services training facility.

The proposed spending plandoesn't say how many rifles the police want to buy.

In June, the provincial cabinetapproved a new policy allowing front line police officers to use carbines.

• RELATED:Saskatchewan approves carbine rifles for front-line police

For years, the high-powered, short-barrelled rifleswere usedmainly by emergency response teams, but more recently in Halifax and other communities they'rebeing made available tofront-line officers.

Some police say they need them becausethey're increasingly going up against criminals withfirearms more powerful than the gunsthey have.

• RELATED:Edmonton drug gangs wage war with increasing firepower, police say

The Regina police capital budgetincludes$1.7 million for computers,software, and video recording in front-line cars.

The police service will also spend$850,000 on new vehicles in 2016.

Council will have final say on spending at a later date.