The armed police presence in Dundee has been questioned by local residents.
Officers with machine guns have been deployed to at least two high profile incidents in areas of the city during the past week.
Last Wednesday, residents of The Elms reported seeing half a dozen vehicles, including SUVs and vans, descend on their street.
At least three officers armed with machine guns were seen outside a property and “appeared to be negotiating” with a man inside.
Police later confirmed the incident involved just one man who was safely detained and taken to hospital.
The heavy presence left many residents bemused.
On Sunday, members of the public reported seeing armed officers in jeeps carrying out enquiries in Dundee’s Court Street following a reported assault involving two alleged female victims.
Witnesses described being ordered to stay indoors and feeling concerned by the heavy police presence.
Resident Craig Robertson said: “Most which will not have seen a real gun in their life, never mind high powered machine guns .
“It might have been for their own safety, but still would have been intimidating for the general public . Request would have been better than demanding as it would have felt more like threat than for their own good .
“I do know there will be reasons behind it all . But intimidating the general public is wrong, you’re there to make them feel safe not feel worse off because armed units are deployed on their street .”
Officers later confirmed a 25-year old man had been charged in relation with a number of alleged offences, including the possession of imitation firearms.
A spokesperson for Police Scotland said officer deployment is dependant on each individual case.
The spokesperson added that the approach to armed officer deployment has not changed since recent terror attacks in London and Manchester.
Councillor Alan Ross, Dundee’s community safety and public protection convener, said he would rather face questions on the subject now than in the wake of any potential terror attack.
Mr Ross said: “Police would only deploy officers if they had intelligence to merit it.
“I can totally understand why people would be alarmed. People panic when they see a gun.
“It is not a decision which officers would take lightly.”
Mr Ross confirmed he will discuss the subject with senior officers at a meeting on Monday evening.
Assistant Chief Constable Bernard Higgins said Police Scotland is “an unarmed service with an armed capability”.
Mr Higgins revealed armed response vehicles are only deployed in “key locations”.
He added: “We are currently in the process of increasing our ARV capability by some 90 officers and this will be complete in the very near future, taking the total number of armed officers dedicated to ARVs to 365, with no plans to increase that number further.”