4.7. SR 12-16-2002 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Advantages of the A-15 weapons system: The AR-15 or A-15 rifle is a fully tactical rifle that offers ease of carry, simplicity in operation and extreme accuracy to distances up to 400 yards. It utilizes a common caliber of ammunition which not only offers substantial stopping power, but ballistic capabilities that insure that the round will not over penetrate and possibly strike an innocent party. The basic sight system is integral to the weapon and is easily used by even inexperienced officers resulting in very tight round placement. The weapon is equipped with a forearm light and a sling, making it easier to carry and use during the hours of darkness. Our shotguns do not currently have a light attached. Our MP-5's do, making them the previous weapon of choice for night use or building searches. We have also changed our response policy for active shooter incidents and our response is directly related to the armament we carry. Columbine taught American Law Enforcement that quick response and immediate intervention is more apt to save lives than the previous manner of response. Prior to this change, we would respond -secure the perimeter and wait for SWAT. Urban logic now dictates that we move and attempt to disable the threat as soon as possible, minLmizing the loss of life and injury to innocent parties. Can Columbine happen here in Elk River? No one at Columbine High thought it could ever happen there. We need to be prepared to deal with the unthinkable. Last, there have been numerous incidents over the past ten years in police services, where the only weapon that presented the solution to the problem was the AR-15 style weapon. The North Hollywood bank shoot-out was the most glaring example. Closer to home, the active shooter event in Columbia Heights 18-months ago was another example of being out gunned by a singular suspect. MP-5's were deployed but they were of no use at the distance of 200 yards that the gunman was firing from. The shooter continued to hit officers and they attempted to return fete - missing the suspect by 40-50 yards. The .223 round is also capable of penetrating body armor. We are concerned that more and more violent criminals are wearing armor during the commission of their crimes. None of our current weapons will disable a suspect wearing armor with the exception of the four AR- 15's we have in inventory now. SWAT inventory: We have a specially trained and proficient SWAT team in Elk River. These eight officers are proficient in a variety of weapon systems and they train more often than the regular patrol force. Their training, although it still consists of a variety of weapon systems - will continue. This does not impact our budget as there are fewer officers needing to train on this variety and they tend to specialize - having several officers being responsible for certain systems rather than cross training everyone. The variety is needed for this specialized team as they are called in to handle events that are beyond the control of patrol and ones that are normally long in duration and may require advanced skills, equipment and techniques in order to resolve the event. We will still continue to carry 4-MP'Ss, two shotguns and a sniper rifle in the SWAT inventory to fit their specialized needs. The MP-5's will be the newest ones from our inventory and should last for some time once they are off patrol and used less frequently.