North Berwick selectmen authorize immediate replacement of service pistols after national safety concerns

The Town of North Berwick Board of Selectmen voted unanimously to replace the police department’s service pistols after discussion prompted by national reports of unintended discharges involving a widely used pistol model.

The police chief told the board the department purchased the pistols in 2007 and that recent national reporting and an FBI review raised concern about “uncommanded discharges” involving the model. “I don’t honestly believe there’s anything wrong with these guns myself,” the chief said, while adding that a single uncontrolled discharge would “not hold up” publicly even if the department had not experienced problems. The chief recommended replacing the weapons sooner than the scheduled 2027 replacement cycle to reduce risk.

A nut graf: the chief cited an FBI report released in July that examined the pistol model and said investigators could not reproduce an uncommanded discharge under test conditions but also could not categorically rule it out. Citing that uncertainty and national publicity, the chief recommended buying a different design with an external hammer and double-action first pull.

In discussion, board members and staff asked about timing, price and logistics. The chief said replacement costs would likely be in the range of $10,000 to $15,000 depending on training ammunition and accessories, and that holsters currently in use would fit a recommended replacement model. A town staff member confirmed that the weapons were slated for replacement in 2027 under the usual 10-year cycle but that the board could accelerate the purchase and use emergency funds.

Selectmen moved and seconded a motion to expend emergency funds to replace the department’s service pistols immediately. The motion included selling the replaced pistols back to a federal firearms dealer and offering town employees first opportunity to purchase them at the resale amount. On a roll call the motion carried 5-0.

The chief said suppliers quoted delivery timelines that vary by manufacturer; one vendor indicated approximately six weeks, while others were longer. The department plans familiarization training with the new weapons and budgeted ammunition for that training as part of the purchase.

The town will fund the purchase from emergency reserves this fiscal year if the board directs it; if not accelerated, the replacements would remain in the next budget cycle.

The selectmen did not name the replacement model in the motion, but the chief said the suggested replacement uses a different internal design (external hammer/double-action first pull) and would switch the department’s caliber from .40 to 9 mm, increasing magazine capacity from 12 to 15 rounds in the chief’s example.

Ending: The board’s vote directs staff to proceed with procurement and order weapons as soon as practical; the chief said he will return with firm vendor quotes and a final cost before payment is made.