Posted on 04/26/2005 12:06:43 PM PDT by holymoly
St. Petersburg police officers have added the Colt AR-15 rifle to their inventory to counter the expiration of the assault weapons ban and the appearance of more heavily armed criminals.
ST. PETERSBURG - (AP) -- The expiration of the nation's ban on the sale of assault rifles and the appearance of more heavily armed criminals have pushed more than 100 St. Petersburg police officers to order assault rifles of their own for official duty.
The first group of officers completed the required 16 hours of instruction for using Colt AR-15s in January.
The semiautomatic weapons fire bullets that travel up to 2,700 feet per second and are powerful enough to penetrate body armor.
''St. Petersburg -- it's not so sleepy any more,'' said Tom Jacwin, a 22-year veteran who is getting used to his new weapon.
``The bad guys are smarter and better armed.''
Police Chief Chuck Harmon approved use of the AR-15s last June with guidelines that took months to develop.
Officers who want the weapons must buy them for $1,100.
The rifles may be used only in ``a high-risk situation, such as to overcome suspects with superior firepower, in response to an active shooter situation, when confronted by barricaded subjects, during stakeout and perimeter operations, for felony vehicle stops.''
The weapons must be stored in a hard case in the trunk of a patrol car except when being used.
They can't be modified for automatic fire, and officers must qualify with them in the shooting range each year.
Critics say that the speed and 300-yard range of the bullets pose a threat to bystanders.
Advocates say the assault rifles are vastly better than the standard Glock handguns assigned to officers and are more accurate than the pump-action shotguns that the department makes available.
Good heavens, man! Did you miss the bank-robbery-turned-shootout of North Hollywood, CA in 1997? That provided plenty of reasons, 44 minutes worth.
Yes, I understand your post was just an anti-LEO tirade. So be it.
The only people who ever called the civilian AR-15 an "assault rifle" are the evil ones who concocted the now defunct "assault weapons" ban and their uninformed, ignorant, nitwit followers.
Uh...that picture...it isn't what it appears to be, is it? Please tell me they didn't manage to insert the magazine that way. Please?
Let me guess. The police chief wants to arm his officers with semi-auto rifles. In any sane world, this would be a reasonable request that would get honored by the city if they found it necessary. But these ninnies in St. Pete are so scared and ignorant about firearms that they are:
1. Making the cops buy the weapons out of their own pockets, and
2. Forcing them to deploy the weapon with so many restrictions that it will never get used.
God help the first officer who has a .223 round go astray.
I don't know. I think I heard somewhere else that he got hit in the arm, but I cannot confirm this information. Maybe someone else knows?
And the militarization of the police continues apace.
Get rid of armed guards inside the banks too. A criminal does not just go into a place and starts shooting up the place just for fun?
That situation in LA which was a great movie by the way, was caused by armed intervention. The response was just more than the interventionists bargained for, and was something the criminals had prepared for.
Butbutbutbut... it's illegal for felons to wear body armor. Therefore, the population is safe from e-e-e-e-evil defensive-wear, and the police are better able to kill us all! Everything's as it should be! Right?
/Lib-"think">
Since when do the percieved needs of corporations trump the personal safety of individuals on the street? Next time, North Hollywood banks should call the cops only after.....the criminals leave! Either that or arm each teller with a sawed off bitch 12 guage. It's not the cops job to be dial-a-shootout!
If I couldn't comprehend the difference between robbery and theft or embezzlement, then I'd buy a good dictionary.
A criminal does not just go into a place and starts shooting up the place just for fun?
Is that a question?
I'd say that bank robbers shoot up the place to get money, eliminate witnesses and suppress resistance. Maybe I'm wrong.
That situation in LA which was a great movie by the way, was caused by armed intervention.
Fascinating! So, the correct answer to increasing bank robberies is... Do nothing! Hell, put out a neon sign advertising the fact. That way, the robbers will just leave their guns home and won't hurt anyone. Maybe we could even bus them to the banks so the low-income robbers would have an equal chance. Better yet, why not just have them sign up for the program over the Internet, and deliver the cash to their door! That's real service.
Why aren't you a criminology professor? You could have the whole country's crime problems solved in a day or two!
Again, why would anyone in their right mind call the police to stop a robbery in progress? In the town I grew up in, which shared it's border with urban Philly, a few of my neighbors were cops who would respond to robberies at our grocery store or bank. They'd be on duty, at home responding to the radio call. The good thing is that they finished their dinner before putting the cruiser into drive. I commend their sensibilities. Now had the calls come in as "shots fired", that's different. No need to force a call into "shots fired"
Big Whoop. My city has been using "patrol" riflemen for five years.
A couple of questions. What 30 cal. round does the carbine fire if not the 06? How many rounds do you think you need in an urban setting? You aren't humping gear on a LERPS patrol and support can be on scene pretty quick.
My choice for knock down power is the .308 but considering an urban setting I would take the 7.62X39 to protect nearby citizens. Real close I prefer OO buck or deer slugs.
Police, like teachers, need only be certified, not qualified. "Only police are certified to carry guns."
They last directed them in anger on a drunk guy out on Pappy Elkins lake last summer. He refused to quit drinking beer while out in his rubber raft fishing.
"Indeed they would, but personally I'd prefer a BAR"
Pick up a semi-auto Remington 7400 chambered for 30.06. Ten round clips are available. No pistol grip so it's under the radar of "assault" weapons bans. And they're cheap, like under $500!
But it is how it should be. I want each law enforcement officer to spend a day working as safe and injury free as possible. I also feel this way because the proliferation of injury once a cop is threatened or injured becomes exponential toward the public.
Nobody can outrun a radio, database search, credit report, facial recognition program, telephone call, cell phone, video monitor doing a taping, or the clerk at the DMV.
You're absolutely right. Those banks had best get that "free cash home delivery" website up and running soon. No more robberies; problem solved! No more nasty guns and people getting hurt and all that.
In fact, why arrest and prosecute robbers at all? ...or muggers? ...or home-invasion burglars? ...or car-jackers? I mean, they all just try to get away, then they hurt people and stuff. Why have police at all? All they do is stress people out and make them violent.
So has mine. Long Beach and Los Angeles have carried AR-15's since the North Hollywood Shootout.
As for the previous comments about the Ruger Mini-14. It doesn't have the accuracy at distances that the police need. I've shot one and my groupings started to really faulter after 100 yards, especially since i was using run of the mill ammo and not hand loads.
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