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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC AG PKT 2004-06-14 #K AGENDA REPORT DATE: June 14, 2004 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council VIA: John B. Bahorski, City Manager FROM: Chief Michael F. Sellers SUBJECT: Purchase of Rifles for Patrol Units SUMMARY OF REQUEST: Police Department is requesting City Council approval of the purchase of rifles for patrol use. The purchase would be made with grant funds that have already been obtained, and may also be offset by selling surplus weapons back to a dealer. BACKGROUND: In the interest of officer safety and Homeland Security, police agencies have had to examine their weaponry, tactical plans, and their ability to defend their communities in the event of a terrorist attack. Each county in California has been tasked with identifying their vulnerabilities and likely terrorist targets. Seal Beach is home to the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station. The greater Los Angeles area is known is law enforcement circles as the "bank robbery capitol of the world ". There are several banks and credit unions in the city. Seal Beach is also accessible by several freeways that allow ingress and egress from Orange to Los Angeles County. These factors make Seal Beach an ideal location for a bank robbery. Domestic terrorism in the form of workplace shootings and spree shooters is also an increasing phenomenon that local law enforcement has to consider. Currently the only alternative to the duty sidearm for Seal Beach police officers is the Remington 870 shotgun. This has been the traditional police shoulder weapon. The common complaints that field personnel have with the shotgun are its weight, recoil, accuracy and limited capacity. Deployment of the shotgun also impedes the officer's ability to use a flashlight to illuminate areas that are being searched and potential targets. Many other cities in Orange County have adopted rifles for patrol use. These patrol rifles are based on the same platform as the military M -16. This weapon, which has numerous trade names and manufacturers, is widely recognized as the law enforcement industry standard. The weapon is a simple to operate system. It operates on the same basic principal as the duty sidearm. The ammunition is held in a magazine, and the weapon fires each time that the trigger is pulled. Agenda Item if • Rifles Agenda Report - 2 - June 14, 2004 The weapon fires a .223 caliber 55 -grain cartridge from a 30 round magazine. The weapon has been proven accurate from over 100 yards. Ballistic tests conducted by the FBI show that the .223 round fired from a rifle is about four times more likely to stop the same attacker who is shot with a handgun. Shoulder weapons tend to be more accurate, and as a result officers armed with rifles tend to fire fewer rounds than their counterparts who are armed solely with a handgun. Recent developments in ammunition have mitigated the issue of "over penetration" making the round safe for urban use. In spite of this simplicity, Seal Beach police officers will receive 16 hours of training in the safe use, handling and maintenance of the weapon. Four officers will also be certified to train personnel that might be hired in the future. Two local law enforcement tactical experts, R.K. Miller and Christopher Schneider of the Huntington Beach and Anaheim Police Departments respectively, will provide the training. They have over 34 years of tactical experience between them, and they have trained local law enforcement, federal agencies, and military units. They were the only trainers who are prepared to train at the Police Department, thus avoiding any travel expenses for our personnel. After the initial training, officers will qualify with the patrol rifle with the same frequency that they do with the shotgun. That qualification can be done at the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station. After extensive research of the weapon and its many manufacturers, a request for bids was submitted to several vendors. Rock River Arms, Southwest Law Enforcement Firearms, Aardvark Tactical, Davidson's law enforcement firearms, and LC Action police supply were all asked to submit bids on a 5.56 caliber semi auto weapon equipped with illuminated sights and a lighting system. The bids varied in price and the lowest bid for a rifle equipped with the required sights and lights was made by LC Action at $1,057.74 per rifle. This is the vendor we recommend for supply of the weapons. The initial purchase will be 13 patrol rifles, including extra magazines, tactical slings, and basic lighting systems for the weapon. Ammunition for training and duty use will also be purchased. The weapons purchased will be secured in police units in the same fashion that the patrol shotgun is. This will make them available to patrol officers immediately if the need arises. At least one extra magazine will be kept with the weapon. The patrol rifle will fall into the "deadly force" end of the use of force continuum. It will be subjected to all of the same controls and regulations as any other firearm used by the police department. FISCAL IMPACT: The cost of the weapons is $14,816.24 with sales tax. Separate ammunition for training and duty use will cost $2,365.00. The training costs will be $7,200.00. Nine (9) police patrol units will need to have a secondary locking weapon rack purchased and installed @ $2,484.63. The total cost of implementing the patrol rifle is $26,865.87, which will • Rifles Agenda Report - 3 - June 14, 2004 come from a local law enforcement block grant. No money from the General Fund will be used for this purpose RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends City Council authorize the City Manager to allow the Police Department to purchase the patrol rifle, and proceed with associated training. • !b4HV ftML1jto Michael F. Sel ers Chief of Polic - /, John B. f. o ski City ; ager