Colombo cops don't need AK-47s, it freaks tourists out. Give them discreet hand guns instead

Over the last 2 days I've noticed an sudden re-emergence of armed policeman on every road and streetcorner. It's probably because there were so many functions which the President and Defence Sec were attending. But it got me thinking, do these basic policemen really need to brandish assault weapons like AK-47s on every streetcorner? Most of them are probably recent recruits and barely know to handle one effectively. Why not just give them smaller arms, which are far more discreet and less intimidating? - hand guns - like metro police in every other country, including our closest neighbour India.

Seeing cops brandishing assault weapons standing every ten metres in the capital of a country that is no longer at war, and looking to attract visitors back - us Colombo-ites might be used to it, but it makes tourists uneasy.
I'm all for continued vigilance and security, but surely we can make it a bit more subtle and less conspicuous now?