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Police department outlines patrol-rifle overhaul and sets training deadline
Summary
Police officials told the commission Feb. 5 they have begun a three-year overhaul of the patrol-rifle program, issuing individually assigned rifles and requiring a three-day training course; officers must complete training by Dec. 31 or lose patrol authorization.
Police officials told the Police and Fire Commission on Feb. 5 that the department is in the third year of a multi-year overhaul of its patrol-rifle program and has set an internal deadline for training completion.
The department is replacing older patrol-rifle equipment and moving to individually issued rifles, accompanied by a three-day basic training course for those authorized to carry the weapons, a police representative said. "We had a patrol rifle program here for many years and the equipment that we use had reached the end of life," the police representative said.
Why it matters: the change is intended to improve safety and marksmanship by assigning rifles, implementing precision zeroing, and ensuring operators complete standardized training. The commission was told that roughly half of patrol officers have already completed the training and that officers who do not finish by Dec. 31 will not be authorized for security patrol duties.
What officials said: the police representative said the department had bonded over three years to fund the equipment and identified risks in the prior practice of leaving rifles in every marked patrol car. The department also plans a longer-range course to complete qualification for all officers; that portion will be run at an outdoor facility.
Details and context: the commission was told the department now counts 176 of 190 authorized positions with 158 deployable officers, and that some officers are in recruit or field training, on military leave or light duty. The representative said five candidates are in backgrounds and four conditional offers are outstanding; those personnel figures were presented as context for staffing and operational readiness.
Next steps: the police representative said the training program will continue through the year and that remaining officers will be scheduled for the additional range course. The commission did not set a different deadline or change the training requirement during the meeting.
Attribution: statements in this article come from the police representative addressing the Police and Fire Commission on Feb. 5, 2026.
