We recently reported that the Seattle City Council was considering a bill that would restrict sales of ex-police guns to other police agencies. If there were no takers (as is likely), the SPD would have to destroy the guns. The ordinance passed. Unanimously. Before that blessed event, we pointed out that this policy was a waste of taxpayer money; some $30k per year. Not to mention some perfectly good guns. The Seattle Police Department agrees — but not for the same reasons. kiro7.com:
The Seattle Police Officers Guild has pointed out a major hitch in the city’s plan to melt down officers’ old guns in the fight against gun violence.
The union’s president, Ron Smith, said the move, which is expected to cost the city $30,000 a year in trade-in money, would break the city’s deal with the union.
“It looks like a waste of city money and it looks like an ill-advised move that was done without regard for our collective bargaining agreement,” he said.
Smith said retiring officers are, according to the agreement, supposed to be able to buy their service weapons.
And why, pray tell, would Seattle Police officers want to buy their “old” guns? Sentimentality? Or maybe because they buy them at a significant discount — then turn around and sell the guns to dealers or private buyers and pocket the profits?
Which puts guns on the street! The “problem” that led to the Seattle sell-’em-to-cops-or-melt-’em-down ordinance in the first place. Despite the Council’s pursuit of political correctness at the taxpayer’s expense, what’s the bet the cops get a carve-out?
Always a nasty situation when PC clashes with common sense !!!! DMD
Not sure how you meant that, but the way I see it, PC _always_ clashes with common sense (actual common sense, that is).
Common sense is not germane to the issue, other than you would think the union rep. would have had the common sense to bring up the potential CBA violation before the bill passed.
This is a case of the stupid vs. the entitled. Liberal hoplophobes vs. union members who want their perks.
“perks” that were negotiated as part of a contract. Everything is a trade off. Something else was probably given up to get that perk.
I’ve got no problem with cops getting the first crack at their service weapon. The bill is stupid for plenty of other reasons.
I knew this was coming. I am pleased at the derp.
I could see that. It’s a tool that’s been their constant companion for years. There probably isn’t a gun in the world they are more comfortable shooting.
Besides, how much profit is there to be realized off a used Glock, even if you bought it at a discount rate? A hundred bucks? Two hundred? That’s really not that much of a profit motive for a one-time deal.
I watch cops buying their two Blue Label Glocks a year at my LGS, all day long. They then turn around and resell on the local forums and make a hundred bucks. They will also try and trade a used Glock for a new Blue Label Glock, even up. You have no idea how financially focused cops minds are.
I recall Wilson 1911s being purchased by a dept or two, then immediately sold off within the same fiscal year for other premium guns, the Wilsons being purchased for ome half their value & resold by some of the officers. Several hundred per piece, easily.
Upset they are unable to continue their graft. Unions truly do breed corruption.
That’s crazy- who in their right mind would sell a half price Wilson?
Somebody who’s not a gun guy.
How many cops are gun guys percentage-wise?
Not enough, unfortunately.
What police department in their right mind buys Wilsons? As a service weapon (read: beater) there’s no reason to buy one over a Springfield, Colt, or Remington that costs 1/3 as much and still does what you need it to do, or a Glock 21 or something in a lesser caliber that costs even less than that. inb4Kimber circlejerk
If I carried a gun as part of my job, even if I couldn’t take it home with me after retirement or sell it to a third party, I’d be pissed to find out it was going into a smelter instead of my replacement’s hands.
Sometimes at my department, when someone retires we buy their pistol from the department and give it to them as a retirement gift. No idea how much they cost at that point, but it’s out of pocket for whoever wants to contribute.
Won’t work for me, though. I haven’t carried an issued gun in years.
I bought my Gen 3 when we went to the Gen 4. Paid $337 total, including tax. I bought it because both it being a pretty good deal and the sentimentality of it.
If I knew of anyone eligible for Blue Line flipping the guns I would have some choice words for them. It’s an awesome program that should not be abused.
Doesn’t that constitute a straw purchase?
Buying a gun as a gift for someone is not a straw purchase.
Yes. It does happen. At one time my dad had over 50 handguns. Now he has 3 firearms total. A Ruger Blackhawk in .357 mag his best friend bought him, A Ruger American he bought so we could target shoot together, and finally a 2.5″ Smith and Wesson model 66 he carried for 28 years on the job
$30,000 a year plus lost for the police department. So that is 1 cop who can not be hired. Just goes to show the lunacy of all this. However, it is the only way they could get rid of them, without violating the state preemption law.
How about 1/4 of a cop that can’t be hired. You know, health benefits and salary and pension contributions add up. Then he will need a car, of course. And training.
Welcome to Seattlestan, progressive workers paradise. Home of the $15/hr minimum wage and anti-gun Jihad. I had to go there to get my CCL because that was the only Sheriff’s office issuing them at the time. Cost me $16 to park for 2 hours. I want to go to Seattle about as much as I want to go to Detroit, where I grew up.
On balance I think Detroit wins. Cost of living has to be a lot lower. Lots of green space.
I’m thinking cop carve-outs are the new PC…
Many police officers around the globe are required to turn their guns in at the end of their shift. If I were a Progressive, I would argue “why not here”. If the Progressives believe that citizens should be stripped of their 2nd amendment rights because they say we don’t need them, then why do police need guns after they clock out for the day? Cases of bad guys seeking revenge on police is fairly negligible. In fact, you are more likely to be assault if you deliver Pizza than if you are an off-duty police officer. Don’t get me wrong. I believe police should carry when off duty. I am just pointing out that the Progressives twisting of facts and justification around their proposal is not even remotely logical. Of course, there is not much they say that is logical.
“Seattle Police Cry Foul Over Ordinance Selling/Destroying Ex-LEO Handguns”
And yet, they would have no problem with destroying mine.
“And yet, they would have no problem with destroying mine.”
Huh? You lost all yours when you were out in your canoe…
That poor canoe will never be the same. Sniff.
Ralph, as you know I am PD, and I HATE anti gun police. They tend to be concentrated in left leaning areas. You’ll find the majority of police down south to be POTG who want nothing less than to take anyone’s guns away.
@Tile floor, my accusation was addressed specifically to the Seattle police, who as you may know have been nothing but trouble for many years.
I recognize that the Seattle PD is not necessarily representative of all police in every other area.
Ralph I know you weren’t making a sweeping statement, I was expressing my frustration with them, not you. There’s nothing I hate more than an anti gun cop, they make it so much harder for the rest of us.
Unions
we got ours for us…you others need to figure out how to pay.
let them keep their free glocks, but stop the lifetime pension and healthcare madness (negotiate a good pay, and invest for retirement as one sees fit)
Unions are not friends of liberty. They will be happy to use the government to crush their enemies.
But the individual union member can and is a friend of liberty.
Life’s ruff officer(s). Treated like an ordinary serf…
Seattle does have a reputation for destroying pretty much any civvie firearm they “secure” as part of an investigation. They hold it for a set time after their nvestigstion is complete and if you don’t retrieve it they melt it.
Officers from surrounding jurisdictions tell me that Seattle isn’t particularly strong in the notification department. So if you don’t call constantly your gun is good as gone.
Does the city counsil also not think that transporting and destroying 30K worth of glocks isnt going to have additional costs on top of the loss from not reselling?
Speaking of which – My cousin Vinnie is in the disposal business, and would be happy to do the job for a small fee.
West coast stupid. I have carried a “retired” G 22 for years and our local PD is the better for it. Our guys are FINALLY getting AR’s and better armor. Support your local PD and Sheriff.
Not only is the city missing out on the money from the sales, they have instituted a policy that is discriminatory against those that perhaps could not afford a new gun but could afford a used cop gun.
Oh well, more profits for the gun companies…. (I wonder if they even thought about that.)
Solution:
Police department in east Washington outside of Seattle purchases ALL firearms from Seattle. That police department then sells all firearms to FFLs.
I bought mine with my Glock certificate after taking vacation time to go to the armorers school. (at least the department paid for that). I’ve still got my gen 2 G17. It’s on its 3rd set of night sights.
Yeah. It was a small department with a small budget.
The buy out price of the guns is not a rock bottom price. They’re just about what you’d pay for the gun retail (PD trade in retail price). These guns are often bought out when an officer retires and they’re passed down to sons and grandsons. It’s a tool of the trade. Just a carpenter will pass down a hammer to a son who will rarely use it, the same thing happens with service pistols
I remember picking up a gen 3 glock 19 in new condition at my LGD for $400 3 years ago. When i got home i noticed a different label and realized it was a blue one. Was also made in Austria and not in Georgia
Am I wrong but if public servants equiment purchased with tax payers money. Is it not then the tax payers property?
OK maybe I messed something in all this anti-gun hatred. If criminals that are known felons use firearms in a crime or murder someone how are they not put in jail for the rest of their lives? If they have proven to be violent people that do not obey the law and do so multiple times why are they still in our society and not behind bars? If you cannot live in our society you must be culled either by separation from our society or in case of murder be put to death. So the question is why are all these habitual life long violent criminals in our society? How are they reproducing so fast if indeed the law and judicial system is working?
I guess the big problem here is enforcing the laws we already have. Keeping violent criminals off the streets so they cannot commit crimes and reproduce making more of their kind. It seems the first thing that must be done is to enforce the laws on the books and see if that works. Like the three strike rule, 3 violent felonies and an automatic life sentence. Yes the jails will be overflowing, so build more jails. By jailing them they cannot breed and produce anymore future violent criminals.
Oh I am sorry that’s logical and the whole idea makes sense. So of course our government will never do it. It’s all starting to smell like a garbage landfill, the smell of tyranny, disarm the population seems to be the stinking odor I smell coming from Washington DC. And history shows over and over and over again that disarmament by a government leads to eventual anarchy and/or total enslavement of the population.
I would be glade to purchase any ex-LEO trade-in Glock, I already have 4. I hope the money went to a good cause like purchasing new equipment and firearms for a police agency. Let them sell those guns, out of state if necessary and use the proceeds to buy these LEOs more training/range time and ammo for it as well as update their equipment. I’m all for that. Which leads me to another pet peeve, stop pitting LEO against law abiding citizens and start working together to keep our streets safer. Hey police we are NOT the enemy, we are your best friends especially in a crisis.
“And why, pray tell, would Seattle Police officers want to buy their “old” guns? Sentimentality? Or maybe because they buy them at a significant discount — then turn around and sell the guns to dealers or private buyers and pocket the profits?”
Uh, the first one, actually. When you carry a gun for years you trust it.
Question: How many of these police guns have been later linked to crimes?
None.
But why let any facts get in the way of good progressive propaganda.
It’s always entertaining to see that the facts of a matter rarely get in the way of poor journalism and even less so with comments.
PD buybacks generally work like this: The department works a trade with a distributor, the PD trades in their old firearms in order to get a reduced price on new. The individual officer is then offered first dibs on his firearm before it gets shipped away. If he decides to purchase it, officially he buys it from the distributor at a price Very comparable to the market price of a well-worn firearm.
There’s little to no profit potential. It’s about sentiment and having a firearm at home that you know very, very well.
Interesting that some consider most cops “not gun guys.” Not only is that inaccurate, but it’s quite telling about those particular commentators.
Guns for me , but not for thee.
I’ve purchased the following firearms over the years from my agency; S&W 686, Sig P220, Sig P226, Sig P226 DAK, Ruger Mini-14 GB, Bushmaster XM-15, Rem 870; and yes Robert, it is not uncommon for officers to want to buy and keep their duty weapons for sentimental reasons, that’s why all those former duty weapons along with my very first duty weapon (personally owned Python) are in my safe and will one day be passed on to my children and grandchildren. My agency gives officers a chance to buy retired weapons for fair market value which is roughly wholesale plus, or about the same used price the gun would go for if sold by a LE Supply like GT or a major distributor like Bud’s. Too funny how Farago never passes up an opportunity to express his thin skinned anti LE pettiness. Rest assured Robert, all Texas Peace Officers who frequent this forum are well aware you’re anti police and pro cannabis.