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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - City Council - 02/06/1982CITY COUNCIL FEBRUARY 6, 1982 The South Burlington City Council held a special meeting on Saturday, February 6, 1982 at 10:00 pm in the Mini-Conference Room, City Hall, 575 Dorset St. Members Present Paul Farrar, Chairman; Michael Flaherty, William Burgess, Hugh Marvin Others Present William Szymanski, City Manager; David Minnich, Assistant City Manager; Wayne Parizo, John Kruger Mr. Farrar noted that the agenda showed only an executive session for review of the police contract, but that some information on firearms procedures had been added to the agenda, and he did not feel an executive session was required for that discussion. Discuss firearms procedures Messrs. Parizo and Kruger were present to discuss this item. Mr. Farrar asked about the procedures for qualification and about whether the ammunition carried by the officers was adequate as far as age. He stated that there had been implications that some officers had carried the same ammunition for 5-6 years. Mr. Kruger replied that the police had carried 357s for less than 2 years and that when the guns were issued, each officer received a new box of 50 rounds. They carry 18 rounds. Mr. Kruger felt that the ammunition going stale was highly unlikely, but he noted that the police did use remanufactured ammunition for training. They qualify once per year and Mr. Kruger said they tried to get in a quarterly practice session. Mr. Kruger noted that the remanufactured ammunition cost about $3 per box, compared to about $18 per box for the factory ammunition, and he added that the police academy uses the remanufactured ammunition without problems. The difference in velocity between the two is negligible. Mr. Farrar asked whether the ammunition carried by the police was fresh and whether the department insured that it stayed that way. He was told that the department did not have a policy to issue new ammunition on a regular basis. Ammunition has never been refused if an officer runs out of it. He said the factory ammunition was sealed to keep it weather-proof and that the same ammunition could be carried for years with no appreciable loss in performance. There is a remote possibility that in foul weather over a long period of time there is a small chance that it would fail to perform, but he had never heard of that happening, Mr. Kruger said. Mr. Kruger said that at the annual qualifications, if an officer wanted to shoot the ammunition he carries, he can do so. The department has no policy on that, but there is a limited supply of the factory ammunition because of the cost of it. Mr. Szymanski asked if the ammunition was dated, but Mr. Kruger did not see a date on the box. He did not see a problem with issuing the police a new box each year if the city wanted to do so. Mr. Kruger said that based on the procedures in other departments, issuing each man 1 box of ammunition per year to rotate his ammunition was reasonable. He said he would prefer that when the annual qualification is done, that the officers fire the ammunition they use on duty. Mr. Burgess asked about use of 22s in practice. Mr. Kruger noted that some officers had trouble with grip, sight picture and trigger control. He felt it was easier to work on those problems with a 22, where an officer does not have to worry about the recoil of a Magnum. The 22 is not a replacement for the Magnum for general shooting - it is a training aid or tool to work on problems without using a lot of very expensive ammunition. It is used for remedial purposes and has been used for less than a year. It was tried for economic reasons. Mr. Kruger said the remanufactured ammunition was an acceptable training standard. It was noted that the State police used to use it and may still, and that Colchester, Shelburne, Essex, and the airport police use it. Meet in Executive Session to discuss the Police Association Contract At 10:25 pm, Mr. Flaherty moved to go into executive session for the purpose of discussing the Police Association contract. Mr. Burgess seconded the motion and all voted for it. At 11:35 pm the Council came out of executive session and adjourned. Clerk Published by ClerkBase ©2019 by Clerkbase. No Claim to Original Government Works.