NSW police are urging a rule change on bearing arms so they can better protect courtrooms

Perth : It took five minutes for police to find a pair of handcuffs to restrain a man who turned violent in the Downing Centre court complex recently, knocking out a prosecutor and having to be restrained by seven police officers.Such incidents are among the many reasons officers should be allowed to carry their weapons in courthouses, the Police Association NSW has argued.The union has slammed the Chief Magistrate and Sherriff’s Office for endangering police and members of the public by continuing to prohibit officers from wearing firearms in court.The heightened terror threat had made officers more vulnerable, Police Association president Scott Weber said on Monday, as the union renewed its push for a change in protocol.”Our members have repeatedly expressed concerns, exacerbated by the current terror threat alert for their safety and the safety of those attending courts, and recent events have proven their concerns to be justified,” he said.In the incident at the Downing Centre court in the past fortnight, sheriffs had to rush from the foyer to the fourth floor to deliver a set of handcuffs while seven officers restrained a violent man, the association said.In the same fortnight, an offender at Grafton Court, appearing on weapons charges, passed a large knife to an associate as he entered the courtroom.