The resolution would authorize the purchase of 140 new 9mm Sig Sauer P320 pistols valued at $ 81,495.
BLOOMINGTON – Bloomingtons elected officials will consider Monday whether to agree to a law enforcement request to purchase new smaller caliber handguns for their badge holders.
If approved by Bloomington City Council, the resolution would waive the technical tender requirements and authorize the purchase of 140 new 9mm Sig Sauer P320 pistols valued at $ 81,495 from Acme Sports of Seymour, Indiana.
The Bloomington Police Department is currently issuing a .40 Sig Sauer P229R DAK pistol to each officer if the officer does not already have a firearm for official use.
“The main reason for the switch is that (9mm pistols) are fast becoming the new standard in law enforcement across the country,” Bloomington Police Department interim chief Greg Scott told The Pantagraph on Friday. “Many agencies have changed.”
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Scott
Another reason for the move, Scott said, is that the current arsenal – which was purchased in 2013 – is showing signs of age. Night vision goggles no longer illuminate and parts of some firearms continue to be replaced.
“It’s a matter of wear and tear,” said Scott, explaining that the greatest wear and tear on pistols during annual weapons qualification occurs when officers put 500 to 700 rounds of ammunition through them.
If approved, the new 9mm guns would be bought for $ 689 each.
It would also allow 62 officers to repurchase their current service weapon for $ 320.
Another 41 weapons would be exchanged for a loan of $ 365. pic.twitter.com/jSopGDes1A
– Tim Eggert (@TimothyMEggert) June 10, 2021
The manufacturer also recommends overhauling the pistols every five years, which means the current set has gone through at least two rounds of overhauls – and the department has paid for it.
Scott said the 9mm pistols should last 10 years before needing a full overhaul or replacement.
The ministry wants to save at least 20% of the ammunition costs by switching to small-caliber weapons.
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As part of the deal, the new 140 service weapons would be purchased for $ 689 each. That total cost of $ 96,460 is offset by $ 14,965 in credits accrued from trading 41 of the old models for $ 365 each.
Another 62 of the older, higher caliber pistols are being bought by BPD officers for $ 320 each. That $ 19,840 goes back to the department’s coffers.
Any firearms transfer is made using the Federal Office of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Form 4473 and is subject to a background check by the Illinois State Police according to a memo created by city staff.
“There will be no special considerations other than the lifting of the three-day waiting period (permitted by law) as the firearm is a police weapon,” the memo said.
The Bloomington Police Department is asking Bloomington City Council to approve a $ 81,495 purchase to purchase 140 new smaller caliber pistols for its officers.
PANTAGRAPH FILE PHOTO
The purchase would also mean that all 123 sworn employees of the department would be able to carry the same firearm without some carrying a mandatory personal weapon.
Effective immediately, the choice of using a department-issued or compulsory personal weapon is “officer preference,” said Scott.
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Another part of the rationale for changing service weapons, Scott said, is the inability to adapt .44-caliber pistols to suit any officer.
The handles on these pistols cannot be changed to accommodate officers’ different hand sizes, Scott said.
“So the new service weapons with the right grip for the hand size make them more accurate and safer for the officer,” said Scott.
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Contact Timothy Eggert at (309) 820-3276. Follow him on Twitter: @TimothyMEggert
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