Oxnard Police Department asks council to fund replacement handguns and optics after safety concerns with P320

Rocky Marquez, assistant police chief for the Oxnard Police Department, asked the Oxnard City Council to approve a budget appropriation not to exceed $300,000 from the general fund to purchase replacement duty handguns, pistol-mounted optics, holsters and related equipment.

Marquez said the request stems from growing safety concerns with the department’s current standard-issue pistol, the Sig Sauer P320, which the department adopted in 2017. “An uncommanded discharge occurs when a striker is released without a deliberate trigger pull,” Marquez said, describing the malfunction that has prompted several California law enforcement agencies to transition away from the P320.

The department tested pistols from Smith & Wesson, Glock, FN and Springfield Armory and selected the Smith & Wesson M&P2 as the preferred replacement. Marquez said the M&P2 is already in use as an issued duty firearm by other California agencies, including the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and the California Highway Patrol, and that the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office plans to transition to the M&P2.

Marquez described additional equipment needs linked to the switch. Because the department issues pistol-mounted optics (PMOs) as part of its standard duty gear, officers will need optics and holsters compatible with the M&P2. The department identified the Aimpoint ACRO as a compatible PMO and Safariland as a vendor that produces a holster capable of retaining an M&P2 fitted with both a light and a PMO. Marquez said the department’s current inventory of pistol-mounted lights is compatible with the M&P2 and that reissuing those lights would reduce the purchase cost by about $41,000.

Marquez said the department conducted a vendor search and that the recommendation presented to council included authorizing the mayor to sign a contract with Addison Police Products and to appropriate up to $300,000 to cover the purchase and any unforeseen expenses. Later in the presentation Marquez said “Adamson Police Products was selected as the vendor which provided the best price and order fulfillment,” an inconsistency that the council would need to clarify in any subsequent authorization.

Marquez told council the department will securely store the existing P320 inventory pending any manufacturer recall or corrective action and will reassess disposition after receiving any manufacturer response. He provided an estimated total cost (including sales tax) of approximately $286,234, noting a correction during the presentation; the department’s formal request remains an appropriation not to exceed $300,000.

No council vote or final action on the recommendation is recorded in the transcript. Marquez said he was available to answer additional questions from council members.