The Gilroy Police Department will ask the Gilroy City Council on Monday night for permission to sell 30 outdated and decommissioned firearms worth approximately $5,000 to active duty and reserve officers, according to a city staff report.
Most of the firearms, which include Colt .45 handguns and Remington shotguns from the 1970s, are in “fair” condition but are no longer reliable to serve as department weapons, according to the report, written by Police Range Master Robert Locke-Paddon to City Administrator Tom Haglund.
“Many police officers have a historical or sentimental attachment to their duty firearms and may want to own them as keepsakes or for recreational target shooting,” Locke-Paddon writes.
It’s been past practice of the GPD to sell decommissioned guns to officers with a written agreement that the officer will retain the firearms for a period of not less than five years, according to the report.
Each officer will be allowed to purchase a maximum of two firearms, and all sold firearms will be marked “Retired Gilroy PD” firearms.
Only active duty officers and reserve officers will be eligible to purchase the surplus guns, according to the report.
“A lottery system would be utilized for those officers interested in purchasing firearms and any transactions would occur during the officers’ off-duty time only,” Locke-Paddon writes.
The report states that any firearms not sold will be destroyed, which could cost the city up to $1,000, including personnel time.
The GPD says it does not support selling the firearms to a private dealer for public resale.
The decommissioned guns include a Colt .45 handgun once used by GPD Captain and 2011 Gilroy Garlic Festival President Kurt Svardal. The list also includes several Mossburg shotguns introduced in 1993 and Ruger tactical rifles from 1998. The GPD says none of the firearms are subject to any current court proceedings.
The agenda item appears on the Council’s consent calendar for Monday’s 6 p.m. regular meeting.
