17. January 2005 · Comments Off on A Non-News Story · Categories: General

Are the idiotaians at the Miami Herald totally unaware that it’s routine practice for police to trade-in their old weapons?

Cops sell old, confiscated guns

Unable to afford new weapons, the Sweetwater Police Department is selling old and confiscated guns. Some critics call this a very dangerous practice.

BY SUSANNAH A. NESMITH AND JONNELLE MARTE
jmarte@herald.com

The cash-strapped police department in Sweetwater has found a way to get brand-new guns for all its 23 officers — sell the old ones.

Police Chief Robert Fulgueira just received commission approval to sell 20 guns that were either confiscated or voluntarily turned in over the past decade — weapons that most police agencies would destroy. The department is also trading in about 45 old service weapons that were issued to officers.

Fulgueira set up the deal with Lou’s Police and Security Equipment. The Hialeah store ranks first among Florida gun shops in terms of the number of guns sold that were subsequently used in crimes, according to a national study. The ranking does not mean that Lou’s has violated any law, though.

”We’re a poor city and I don’t have the budget to be spending $7,000 to $8,000 on weapons,” Fulgueira said. “Why should I pay money to destroy these guns when I can sell them, make some money and use it to equip my men?”

Sweetwater PD Glock 23
TAKING AIM: Sweetwater police Officer Domingo Benito
shows off his old outdated Glock pistol. He should have a
new one as soon the city’s planned sale is completed.
Photo: David Adame / for The Herald

But the Glock 23 is hardly “outdated”.

Comments closed.