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1 Comment [ View ]Roy police put confiscated guns to good use ... on the force
ROY -- Th
e police department now has three more guns for officers to use -- thanks to the criminals they confiscated them from.
The department was in a rare and interesting situation when officers realized three firearms they'd seized, two riot shotguns and a Glock .40-caliber pistol, were within their legal right to use.
Police sought approval from the city council to use the weapons during a recent meeting. The council voted unanimously to put the three firearms, two of which were confiscated and one that was found, into police use.
The two shotguns had been stored at the department for several years and were "brand-spanking new," said Roy Police Captain Jack Bell. The department will use them to fire non-lethal rounds, he said. The rescued Glock is identical to the service pistols used by all Roy police officers.
Police will use only weapons that are very similar, if not identical, to those already in use, he said.
The guns were first cleared by the state lab, Bell said. Researchers conducted ballistic tests to ensure they weren't connected to any open cases or crimes.
Police Chief Greg Whinham said it is the first time a situation like this has ever come up in the city. Confiscated weapons are usually either destroyed or auctioned, he said.
Police used "due diligence" in locating the weapon's owners, said city attorney Andy Blackburn. "This is a unique issue, but I think it is the correct way to handle (it)."
It isn't uncommon for Ogden police to use seized items, such as guns, for situational police work, said Lt. Scott Sangberg. The items are sometimes used in police sting operations and as education tools, he said.
Sangberg said use of the items has to be approved by either the city council or the city attorney's office, depending on the item, its proposed use and its connection to a crime. Most firearms confiscated by the OPD are sold at auction, he said.
Whinham said he wanted to make absolutely sure these weapons could be used by the Roy Police Department before pursuing the issue, and he found that to be the case.
The savings to taxpayers is between $1,500 and $2,000, Whinham said, adding he's glad to be able to use the firearms.
Mayor Joe Ritchie agreed, saying, "It's a savings to the taxpayer and a good way to use them."
Reporter Sam Cooper contributed to this article.
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I don't know if this is such a great idea but then again The Roy Chief of Police is the brightest crayon in the box!
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