Council hears plan to accelerate police firearm replacement after officer concerns and national reports

Police leadership told the council that the department intends to transition away from its current duty firearm because officers have raised safety concerns and there are national reports and litigation involving the model. The department proposed a capital request (net figure discussed in the meeting: approximately $73,501 in the FY2026—2027 capital budget request, net of trade-in) to purchase new duty weapons with optics and to fund associated holsters and mandatory training.

Councilmembers asked whether replacement was needed this year, how trade-in values were estimated, and whether the town might be a member of any class-action litigation. Staff said litigation exists in some cases against the manufacturer (SIG Sauer P320 was named during discussion); the town is not currently a class member and cannot confirm potential proceeds. Chief and Town Manager described a phased deployment and training schedule of roughly nine months from order to full department qualification so that officers would not be required to transition all at once or incur excessive overtime.

Council requested follow-up details before adoption: a documented trade-in value included in the capital tally, clearer line-item breakdowns for the firearms and training costs, and a public explanation of the decision and rollout if the council approves the funding. No formal vote on firearms funding was taken during the work session.

Quotation from the meeting: "If the police officers have lost faith in the firearm they're carrying, whether it's real or perceived, it needs to go," the Town Manager said, summarizing the operational risk that justified accelerating replacement planning.