Queensland police have been forced to retest all service-issued Glock handguns after a fault was discovered in the weapon that could cause it to fire multiple shots.
The .40-calibre Glock is the standard-issue sidearm for Queensland police officers. All 15,000 weapons will be recalled for testing.
A malfunction was discovered during routine testing of the weapon which could result in multiple shots being fired when the firearm is discharged.
The Queensland deputy police commissioner, Chris Stream, said the fault had been discovered during a new testing regime. It was not yet clear what the cause was, he said.
Stream said the fault has so far been discovered in three older-model weapons.
The pistols will remain in service until they are tested, and Stream conceded that there was an “unknown risk” that a faulty Glock could malfunction in the field in the meantime.
Stream said it would be a problem “only if the weapon is used”.
“If an officer had to use a weapon currently and discharge that weapon, there is an unknown risk currently, in terms of the weapon – an untested weapon, I should say – discharging multiple rounds,” he said.
“So there’s not a wider threat to members of the community, or in fact, the safety of the officers using that weapon”.
The weapon has been used since 1999 and Stream said it was possible the fault had occurred in the field in its two-decade service history.
Sign up for the Breaking News Australia emailQueensland’s police minister, Dan Purdie, said: “These are concerning findings and we are now demanding answers of the Queensland Police Service”.
The Glock is the standard-issue sidearm used by the QPS, but officers are also issued a Taser, and other weapons, with some officers also trained to use rifles.
The fault is the second to be discovered with police weapons this year. The QPS ordered a recall of holsters issued for the brand-new Taser 10 earlier this year after a defect was discovered which allowed a weapon to be removed from a locked holster.
President of the police union, Shane Prior, said the issue was “raised in routine testing from Glocks that were returned from the frontline for everyday maintenance”.
He said when the trigger was held down, multiple bullets would be fired.
“Now that is something that should not occur in a semi-automatic weapon,” he said.
Prior said he would expect a full replacement of every Glock in the service, if the issue proved widespread. He said “on the face value” that the guns in operation were safe for use.
He said most of the Glocks in service were over 20 years old, bought between 1999 and 2003.
“Now’s the time to look at what is on the hip of our people doing this very hard job in Queensland,” he said.
Testing would be conducted across all regions, commands and divisions, everywhere in Queensland. Weapons that meet testing requirements will be returned to service, with deficient guns replaced.
Stream said it was unknown how long or how much fixing the weapons would cost.
“At this time, there have been no operational incidents, I will say again, at this time, there have been no operational incidents identified in connection with serviced issue Glock handguns, so that includes any recent police involved shooting,” he said.
Officers will be provided with instructional videos and information about the fault, he said.
Queensland police continues to buy the Glock, taking delivery of new weapons as recently as last year.
Queensland police said it was also working with suppliers to rectify the issue.
