[IvanT]

FYI, at work RCMP wear body armor, dark blue (or black?)police uniforms and carry Smith and Wesson pistols. I know that at least some of them are trained with rifles and shotguns.

They're trained and carry fully automatic weapons when necessary, along with the body armour. The Red tunics are ceremonial.

[-YYZ-]

"They're trained and carry fully automatic weapons when necessary, along with the body armour. The Red tunics are ceremonial."

Hell, even the OPP (Ontario's version, the Ontario Provincial Police) are armed with automatic weapons "when necessary." Last Friday the 13th run in Port Dover (A big motorcycle/biker happening) the roads had checkpoints with cops wearing body armor and armed with MP-5s.

Anyways, scoff if you like, but the RCMP have experience with international policing (Haiti, Kosovo, etc), part of their job being to help train/re-educate local police to more of a north American way of conducting business. You could do worse. Of course, if you want to do it all yourselves, be my guest.