Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Police Equipment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Prineville council approves $65,843 rifle upgrade for police, including suppressors and training
Summary
The Prineville City Council authorized a $65,843 purchase from Oregon Rifle Works to replace patrol rifles with shorter‑barrel systems, duty‑rated sights and suppressors; staff said the equipment is budgeted, officers will be trained before carrying them, and the council approved the measure unanimously.
Prineville’s City Council on a unanimous vote approved a $65,843 purchase to upgrade the Prineville Police Department’s patrol rifles, aiming to improve officer safety and reduce hearing damage during training and operations.
Interim Chief Shane Wilson introduced the request and called up the department’s range master, Officer Tyler Takagi, to describe the equipment and training plan. Takagi said the department intends to buy shorter‑barrel systems from Bravo Company equipped with Aimpoint sights and Hux Works suppressors and that officers tested the equipment at a demonstration. “Just starting in 2022, there were 331 officers shot, 62 killed,” Takagi told the council as part of a broader argument that updated equipment helps protect officers in dangerous encounters. He added that the selected rifles and accessories are “top‑of‑the‑line” and that the department vetted the vendor with a live demonstration.
Takagi and Chief Wilson emphasized safety and training. Wilson said the purchases are budgeted in the current annual budget and that the department will not issue any weapon an officer has not been fully qualified on: “Once we got them trained up, then we would swap out the rifles,” Wilson said, noting the training and zeroing process would begin immediately. Council members asked about life expectancy and costs; Takagi replied the proposed rifles are higher quality and that the vendor allows officers to buy back old duty weapons, which reduces net cost.
Council members also sought clarification about automatic‑fire capability and public safety. Takagi said the department’s insurance and policy prohibit fully automatic weapons: “No, sir. So we don't have fully automatic guns. Our city insurance won't let us have those,” he said. He explained the suppressors are rated to withstand sustained use and were selected in part because they reduce muzzle blast and recoil, lowering the risk of hearing damage for officers and bystanders during training.
The council voted to approve the intent to award the contract to Oregon Rifle Works for $65,843. Staff said the department will begin training as the equipment arrives and will follow existing policies on qualification and use. The motion passed with a unanimous aye vote.
The next step is procurement and scheduling training for all affected officers; Wilson said he will return to council if additional appropriations or policy changes are needed.
