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Local Police Chief Wont Allow Rifles/shotguns for LE

2K views 34 replies 26 participants last post by  Steve261 
#1 ·
I have been a long time reader but this is my first post. I have A few local LE Friends and we were having a discussion about them carrying a rifle or a shotgun. Well are local police chief will not allow anyone other the the drug interdiction unit (We have 2, and they work 2-12 5 nights a week) to carry either. This kind of bugs me from a safety stand point because we all know there are times when a long gun would be better suited especially with everything that has been going on lately. If anyone has any ideas on how I might convince the chief to allow are LE to keep a long gun I would Appreciate it. Also your thoughts on the matter.
Edit: If this is not the correct sub forum please move it mods.
 
#4 ·
First you need to call or visit the chief yourself, and find out if this is accurate information you are receiving second hand and if so, You need to make others aware and get a campaign of email/phone calls to the chiefs office, the mayors office, and the media started. This is leaving police officers with lesser protection, thereby leaving the citizenry less protected. But again verify the information from the horses mouth first. If that doesn't satisfy you, you can always get a group of people together and attend the next city council meeting with the media in tow. The people still have power at the local levels. So there are some options for you. Good luck.
 
#8 ·
I agree that long guns/shotguns should be carried in patrol cars. That of course requires officers to qualify with them annually. My old department would allow officers to purchase 9MM AR-15 style rifles and Rem. 870 shotguns.

How small is your department? Does the county or state police back them up on calls? Are they allowed rifles/shotguns?
 
#9 ·
Who hires the Chief? Mayor or Town council? Do they know of this policy? Find out and start a campaign to flood their offices with comments against the policy, the more letters the better.
 
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#30 ·
And you never know what you need until you need it.
 
#11 ·
Darbo, No they can not have one in there patrol cars. More then one of the LE's that told me have current state qualifications from there last department. I will try and go down and talk to the chief one day next week.
If he confirms the policy and won't consider a change in policy, i will start attending the city hall meetings and try and get the local new's involved also.
Thanks, I will post with an update after I talk to the chief.
 
#12 ·
There is a lot of research out there on why law enforcement needs long guns particularly patrol rifles. The agency I retired from had Remington 11-87's. I was tasked with drafting the proposal for getting patrol rifles along with a cost analysis including ammo, training OT, new racks for the patrol cars, extra mags, etc. We wound up getting Bushmaster Patrolman models (yes I would have loved to have gotten Colt 6920's or BCM's) but budgetary constraints precluded that. We got a great deal on them off the state bid (about $500 as I recall) and were able to get MORE of them than the Colts or BCM's. Chiefs these days tend to be VERY budget conscience and they need the facts well presented so that they can present a good case for going to their City Commission for the $$$$$ to get the needed equipment. BTW, there is grant money out there especially for smaller more rural agencies to get equipment like that. We used confiscated funds to purchase ours at no real cost to the taxpayer.
 
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#13 ·
I would start with a call to the town/city manager, he works at the pleasure of the city commission, if he does not satisfactorily answer the question, take it before the town/city commission. The chief in most cities is hired and fired by the city commission.
 
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#14 ·
I think he should talk to any of us here in Chattanooga. Patrol rifles saved a lot of lives. Abdulazeez was sporting some serious firepower, and pistols would not have been nearly as effective.

I think the key would be to put pressure on the mayor. The chief works for the mayor. Pressure the mayor, and he'll hopefully want a 2nd term badly enough to make common sense changes.
 
#15 ·
The chief is a moron! I'm in my 17th year of LE and although I work for a small department, everyone of our vehicles has an AR rifle and shotgun.

This past winter, there was an active shooter at a local Wal-Mart and you could hear responding officers yelling on the radio to get someone (an officer) to the scene with a long gun. Apparently the two responding PD's do not have long guns in all their vehicles.
 
#16 ·
With the cost stand point, they spend crazy amount's on there new chevy tahoe's. When they could have saved thousands buying the silverados, or caprice, or chargers. This town is about apperance and trying to get more people to move here (Population was over 12000, in 2008 i think and its a lot higher now).
 
#20 ·
What kind of civic leadership and citizenry allows such policies as this?
 
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#21 ·
Just North in Marion, Every west memphis police officer has ar15 sense the two police officers were killed in 2010. Ever sense they brought all the smaller towns around us to are school district it has brought a lot of of gang violence, heck mcdonalds got shot up a couple of months ago, the big apartment complex right off I-55 had a shooting and 7 or 8 cars got shot up. And this week the schools were put on lock down because a kid brought a gun to school to shoot two school mates.
 
#22 ·
My suggestion is talk with your boss a little to find out how he feels about guns in general. Going to the media, speaking with the Mayor, Town Manager, etc. is only going to put the heat on you. Don't do it is my advice. Been there done that. They won't remember what your complaint was about in a little while, but they will never forget you complained.

I once had a Chief that told me the NRA was a "subversive organization" and was a true Democrat. You are not going to change his mind if he thinks that way.
 
#24 ·
I would start be keeping one of my rifles in the trunk at all times either an AR15 or 30-30 lever.

Just in case.
 
#26 ·
What will change minds and policy is when it costs the city money. There are two ways that will happen. Officers will keep leaving because they are not equipped properly to do their jobs, This cost them plenty out of their training budget. Or soeone will get hurt because they were by policy not prepared to do their job! DR
 
#27 ·
I would be very interested in what the chief's qualifications are to be chief.

Unless the chief is politically opposed to long guns in patrol vehicles there is no reason to not go along with the majority of LE agencies and training in the US and have the officers properly trained and equipped.
 
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#29 ·
I say go over his head. Mayor? Insane mindset given the threats they face. Every patrol car needs a long gun imho.
 
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