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Council approves purchase of 70 Glock backup handguns for El Mirage police, using trade‑in credit
Summary
Council approved the police department’s purchase of 70 Glock 43X secondary handguns under state contract, using a trade‑in credit of about $21,370 and authorizing a remaining city cost of roughly $26,035, police said the move standardizes secondary weapons, ammunition and training.
The El Mirage Common Council authorized the police department to purchase 70 Glock 43X handguns under statewide contract on Oct. 7, completing the final phase of a multiyear effort to standardize service and backup weapons.
Police leadership told council officers are encouraged to carry a secondary handgun for officer safety in situations such as weapon malfunction or constrained access. The department said standardizing secondary weapons reduces training and liability complexity and ensures issued weapons are maintained under department oversight.
The department presented a price of approximately $43,372 for 70 handguns (factory‑installed red‑dot sights), with tax raising the invoice to about $47,406. After applying an existing trade‑in credit of about $21,371 from prior equipment turnover, the net city cost is $26,035. Council debated liability and the procedure for lost or unreturned weapons; police said departing officers are required to return equipment and, when not returned, department practice is to update state records and pursue recovery.
Council approved the purchase after a motion by the mayor and a second; several members praised the move as a safety and training improvement and noted the department will continue annual qualifications and armory inspections. The policy governing secondary weapons is in the police department’s policy, staff said, not in the collective‑bargaining MOU.
