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Warwick council trims police ammunition request after public questions about inventory and cost
Summary
After public concern about inventory, per-round pricing and past purchases, a finance committee amendment cut the police department's requested ammunition budget from $150,000 to $75,000; the City Council later approved the amended request.
The Warwick Police Department asked the Finance Committee and later the full City Council to approve a one-year ammunition purchase contract capped at $150,000. Major Sullivan of the police department told the committee the bid covered multiple training needs and that the department uses roughly 100,000 rounds of 9mm and close to 100,000 rounds of .223 per year for rifles, training and required qualifications.
The request prompted sustained questioning from council members and members of the public about how much ammunition the city already has, how it is inventoried and the per-round cost. Rob Cody (Ward 7) told the committee he reviewed two decades of city spending and public records and said the department had reported an inventory of about 230,000 rounds in April and had recent purchase requests that would create what he characterized as an unusually large total over a short time. He urged detail on per-round prices and inventory controls.
Major Sullivan said the department maintains inventory in a locked storage area and that range personnel track usage; he also said ammunition requirements have grown because the department fields patrol rifles and academy recruits require large amounts of training ammunition. Sullivan said he provided the committee with a per-thousand-round breakdown for the bids and earlier that day had sent inventory figures to the committee chair.
Committee members pressed for a reduced, interim cap while they reviewed numbers. Councilman Foley moved to amend the department's request from $150,000 to $75,000; the amendment passed in committee and was later approved by the full council. Council members said they would expect the department to return to request additional funds if needed and that they want clearer documentation of per-round costs and inventory control for future purchases.
Why it matters: The purchase covers ammunition used for required qualifications, academy training and specialty units; in a tight municipal budget, large, recurring consumable purchases are a frequent focus for fiscal oversight.
What happened next: In committee on Jan. 13 the amendment to cut the cap to $75,000 carried and the committee forwarded the bid as amended. The full council later voted to approve the ammunition contract as amended.
Public reaction: Several residents who spoke at the meeting said they were alarmed by the total quantities of rounds the department has requested and asked for tighter inventory accounting and transparency on unit pricing.
Where to look next: Council members requested per-round cost breakdowns and inventory detail from the department; the police chief and procurement staff agreed to supply those figures for the committee and council's follow-up review.
