Heavily armed specialist police to patrol MCG during Boxing Day Test
Specialist police officers carrying semiautomatic weapons will be deployed for Melbourne's Boxing Day Test. (ABC News: Andi Yu)
In short:
Officers from the Critical Incident Response Team will patrol outside the MCG during the Boxing Day Test.
The officers are trained to respond to major incidents and carry long-arm weapons.
Victoria Police says the move is not in response to any specific threat.
Specialist police armed with long-arm semiautomatic rifles will be deployed to the MCG for the Boxing Day Test in an escalation of security measures for the event.
Victoria Police said officers from the Critical Incident Response Team would patrol outside the MCG as an additional safeguard.
Police said the move was a proactive step based on the current threat environment, and that the force was not responding to a specific threat.
Victoria Police said it had been working with Cricket Australia and the Melbourne Cricket Club, which were supportive of the move.
Victoria Police says there is no specific new threat to the Boxing Day Test. (AAP: James Ross)
Chief Commissioner Mike Bush said the increased police presence should reassure attendees that the event was safe.
"This overt presence is about adding another layer of protection to make sure cricket fans feel safe," he said.
"We know it's unusual to see police with these weapons outside the MCG, but I want to assure everyone this is about greater safety and providing reassurance to the community."
The specialist police will patrol around the MCG concourse and approaches to the ground, including Birrarung Marr, Jolimont Railway Station and Yarra Park.
The Critical Incident Response Team is trained to respond to major incidents and was used in the search for Dezi Freeman. (ABC News: Tara Whitchurch)
Commissioner Bush did not rule out the possibility that the increased security presence would be the "new normal" for upcoming events in Melbourne such as the Australian Open.
"It's very much [about] understanding what the environment looks like, the security environment," he said.
"It's quite possible, but we'll do that on a case-by-case basis."
General duties police and officers from the Mounted Branch and the Public Order Response Team will attend, as is normally the case for the Boxing Day Test.
Commissioner Mike Bush says Monday's media opportunity was designed to acclimatise the public to seeing the weapons. (ABC News: Andi Yu)
"These deployments are part of our usual, broader effort which sees police and MCC security working in and outside the ground," Commissioner Bush said.
"Be it at the cricket or anywhere else people are spending the summer, Victoria Police is here for all Victorians.
"As a modern, forward-thinking police force, we should always be looking for new and different ways to be there for our communities."
Mixed reactions to 'show of force'
As Melburnians prepare for one of the biggest sporting events on the calendar, the announcement of heavily armed police patrols drew a mixed response.
Father-of-two Michael Crowder said he did not think that the escalation in weaponry would improve safety.
"If something did happen, what are they going to do? It's just going to be a whole bunch more shooting," he said.
"I mean it doesn't sound great, does it? It's not Australian, doesn't feel Australian."
Mr Crowder said the presence of heavily armed police would make him second-guess taking his children to the event.
Michael Crowder says the prevalence of semiautomatic weapons at the MCG would make him feel less safe. (ABC News: Andi Yu)
But Melbourne resident Tom Barber said the increased firepower was welcome given recent events.
"I think we need the security with what's been happening lately, I see no issue with that at all," he said.
"With what's happened recently, certainly in Sydney, we need the show of force. It just makes us all feel safe."
Visiting Brisbane resident Li Wang also backed the increase in security.
"I just came from Sydney and I've been to Bondi Beach, and I met a lot of people talking about this," Mr Wang said.
"If the police use special weapons in a difficult situation, I believe that is good for the situation and good for people."