Cops scramble to buy ammo as supply gets scarce

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Cops scramble to buy ammo as supply gets scarce

By STEVE LIEBERMAN

THE JOURNAL NEWS

(Original publication: September 23, 2007)

Bullets are becoming more expensive and harder to come by for police departments in the region and across the nation.

The reasons vary, police and munitions experts say.

One factor is a widespread feeling that there is an ammunition shortage domestically due to worldwide demand and the need to supply the military in Iraq and Afghanistan.

And spiralling costs for copper and other commodities used to make ammunition have led to higher prices.

In response to rising costs and fears of shortages, many law enforcement agencies are buying more ammunition earlier and hoarding their caches.

Some police departments have come close to being short on bullets.

The Stony Point Police Department had to buy 32 cases from the ammunition supplier Eagle Point in New Jersey this month after a June ammunition order from another state contractor went unfilled. A case has 1,000 rounds of ammo.

"I had ordered well over 20,000 rounds for our various weapons training," Lt. Peter Quinn said. "I have still not received it. I called and I was told they were backlogged due to military orders. That was not acceptable to us."

Quinn said the department paid about $1,300 more - $4,800 rather than $3,500. But Eagle supplied the ammo within a week.

"We have enough to get us through the year," Quinn said. "And we've ordered for next year."

Tom Morris III, an owner of Eagle Point, said supplying law enforcement takes longer because of higher costs, supply and demand, war and military training needs, and perceived manufacturing shortages.

He also noted that the United States supplies police forces worldwide with ammunition.

Eagle Point sells to nearly 70 police departments in the Northeast. Morris, a retired Marine major, said he stocks 300 to 400 tons of ammunition from manufacturers.

"All of those factors rolled into one have put pressure on the supply system for civilian law enforcement," Morris said.

Some police departments are waiting six to 10 months for handgun and rifle ammunition.

"You still get your ammo, but you have to wait up to 10 months," Morris said. "It's a serious problem, but there is enough ammo to shoot bad guys, at least in this country."

Morris and others said slower deliveries and backlogs faced by manufacturers are causing an ammunition shortage.

According to news reports, Oklahoma City police officers cannot qualify with AR-15 rifles because the department does not have enough .223-caliber ammunition. That round is similar to ammunition used in the military's M-16 and M-4 rifles.

In Milwaukee, supplies of .40-caliber handgun bullets and .223-caliber rifle rounds have fallen so low that the department has repeatedly dipped into its ammunition reserves.

Last year, the Bergen County Sheriff's Department borrowed 26,000 rounds of .40-caliber ammunition to complete twice-a-year firearms training for officers.

"The departments having problems are those that didn't plan ahead," Morris said.

He said costs for ammunition have risen 30 percent to 90 percent over the last couple of years, and are still climbing. He said, for example, bullets have risen from $6 to $10 for a box of 50.

For the most part, police departments in Rockland, Westchester and Putnam have not felt a serious pinch. But they are aware of the potential issues. The main concern is having enough training ammunition, since officers rarely fire their weapons in the line of duty and are unlikely to shoot off dozens of rounds.

Most of the ammunition police departments buy is less expensive practice ammunition used during firearms training and for officers to qualify yearly to use their weapons. So far, firearms training continues on schedule.

White Plains Deputy Public Safety Commissioner Daniel Jackson said the department keeps a stockpile of ammo to make sure it has enough for day-to-day operations.

"I can only think of one officer-involved shooting incident in White Plains since I've been here, so obviously, they're not using up a lot of ammo on the streets," Jackson said.

Jackson said the department has to start planning its training a little earlier to make sure there is ammunition between orders.

Clarkstown police Sgt. Harry Baumann said the department's ammo almost ran out after delays in receiving shipments. Baumann said he now orders ammunition earlier.

Clarkstown, with its 172 officers, uses more than 50 cases of practice ammunition a year for training and certification. Each case of 1,000 rounds costs $220.

Baumann said he became aware of the delays and potential shortages through Morris and others.

Baumann said he had double ordered ammunition this year and already has ordered more for next year to remain ahead.

"The ammo is taking a lot longer to get to us," Baumann said. "Departments that expected the normal six-week turnaround are going to be surprised. Now it's anywhere from six to 10 months, maybe even longer."

The Westchester County Department of Public Safety also is ordering earlier to ensure its officers are more than amply supplied.

In anticipation of longer waits and higher prices, Westchester "ordered a substantial amount of ammunition this summer" and now has a stockpile, spokesman Kieran O'Leary said.

Peter Tarley, the firearms trainer for the Rockland Police Academy and the Suffern Police Department, said he doesn't expect to see changes in training at the county police range.

He said officers fire 100 to 400 rounds during training and qualifying.

"I am more interested in making sure the officers' skills are improved," Tarley said. "Nobody has spoken to me about reducing training at this point."

Tarley said the ammunition issue pops up every several years.

Police are not the only ones affected by the increase in prices. Gun shops and firing ranges said ammunition is available but will cost more for target shooting and hunting.

Jesse Furnari, a manager of Firing Line in Pearl River, said shooters typically fire 100 to 200 rounds, so they definitely feel price increases.

"Not many people seem to want to spend more money on ammo," he said. "I can shoot off 50 in less than 10 minutes. Most shooters go through several boxes of ammo. And they've been raising the price little by little."

Morris said the difference is that the "guy looking to go bang-bang at the range" doesn't need as much ammunition as law enforcement.

"Let me put it this way," Morris said. "Nobody sitting at home is going undefended because they don't have six rounds in their revolvers."

Police in Rockland continue to practice, but keep an eye on the level of their ammunition.

Recently, Suffern police Lt. Brian Nugent squeezed the trigger on his .357 magnum Glock, rapidly firing at a paper target.

He quickly exhausted a magazine of 15 bullets before reloading. His shooting partner, Officer James Giannettino Jr., fired off 17 rounds.

All told, they quickly fired a little more than 50 rounds - more than a box of ammunition - while practicing at the department's shooting range.

"We're in good shape," Nugent said. "The situation does make planning a little more difficult from a budgetary position. You just have to plan ahead."

[fireman2138 0]

Any of these departments consider getting into reloading spent casings?

[JetPhoto 626]

Time to start using a laser gun