Police Told to Stop Selling Guns

This sounds like it's possible they got some deal on a line of guns, tried them and didn't like them, so they sold them off. Either that or they were intentionally buying at a discount and selling to "friends", but I don't see the sense in doing that at a further discount.

Either way we're talking about 14 guns. WGAF?
 
I thought that police buy guns back not sell them?! I need to befriend some LEOs if this is true.
 
Article says, "The town paid $12,349 for the guns out of a gift fund and collected $7,584 in sales."

Sounds like buddies selling to buddies on the public's dime.
 
I don't think this is about it being guns, it's about the money and the department selling property they didn't have authorization to sell.

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Article says, "The town paid $12,349 for the guns out of a gift fund and collected $7,584 in sales."

Sounds like buddies selling to buddies on the public's dime.

They paid $12,349 for 31 guns ($398 each) They Sold 14 of them for $7584 ($542 each) Seems that they did not take a loss at all if you ask me.
 
They paid $12,349 for 31 guns ($398 each) They Sold 14 of them for $7584 ($542 each) Seems that they did not take a loss at all if you ask me.

Seems you're assuming "the guns" in the article is "all the guns" and "some of the guns" respectively. I'd guess it's "the guns they sold" in both instances. If not, it's kind of strange marking up guns for sale to former members of the dept... but I guess it could be.
 
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According to some crap down the link chain there, the feds are involved in this. If someone was buying FET exempt guns and selling them to "unwashed" people (non LE/mil/gov agencies, not individuals) without collecting FET, that's kind of a problem, although honestly I would be surprised if they cared most of the time. I get the distinct impression that this is part of something bigger in that town (the "town marshal" resigned, among other things) so its probably just shit flowing downhill. [laugh]

-Mike
 
Math problem? What was collected, That was for only 14 guns not 31. That is how the spin stories get going. So nice of you to contribute.

Nice of you to read the whole thread before jerking off a reply. Sorry I hit your extremely over-sensitive "someone said something bad about a police officer spot." Show us on the doll where the words hurt you. Tuck in your bias, it's sticking out.

Sheesh.

Let me guess, you think they can't have abused a program to buy and then resell discount firearms "to former police officers, reserve police officers and the public?" I mean, that is word for word what the articles say happened. You know, using public funds (whether or not the dept. makes a profit) to buy and then resell guns? AND you think, from just those short articles, that it's a profit center for the dept (i.e., it is not being done "on the public's dime")? If so, your version of the stated facts moves from embezzlement to fraud. Think about it.
 
Do you think I really care about what you think, That is if you even do. I am not " ButtHurt, as folks like to like to call it so that you have a way of making anyone that calls you out go away. Nice Try.

I just called out that the spin on the numbers was just that a spin.
Nope, I didn't mention the dollars, as you assumed and immediately went to snide comment. I only gave it back to you. I do like your 13-year-old quality comeback, tho.

There's some possible scenarios to the story, even if you insist there's bias in the story - they sold them at a loss, sold at break-even, or sold at a profit. Two of those scenarios may constitute fraud on the manufacturer offering the discount program. One may constitute embezzlement of public funds. Two constitute doing it "on the public dime," which is all I said it sounds like in the post in response to which you devolved to snark.

I'm not the one who opened with the snide comment, but you certainly earned the response. Sorry about your butt.
 
As far as I am concerned I would love to see more officers( particular to MA) with in the law buy more guns we subjects can't buy then when they no longer need them sell them to us rather than the inner circle......maybe the AG will see the loophole LEO has and restrict them down to peasant level like the rest of us.....
I'm,guessing very little will happen.....some paid leave, early retirement ohh the horror
 
I think the real issue here is that the LEO found a way to cash in on the "gift fund" money. Buying the guns, and knowing full well that they would be sold, even if it was at a discounted rate. Where there is a will....
 
There is a ton of speculation here, a lot of it very wild.

Let me throw a big MAYBE out there as to what this is all about (since the story doesn't give us much real info). This is based on numerous discussions and prior personal experiences.

When Ethics Commissions (both US and in almost every state) were created, laws and policies were put in place that basically forbid any public employee (and later expanded to include people in the medical profession as well) from accepting/giving gifts worth any significant amount of money (we're talking >$25 or $50 in a year here). Public entities must sell off items they no longer want/need at public auction to ensure that they collect fair value for the item. In fact officers are forbidden to accept free food/drinks, etc. which was very commonplace for very many years until the creation of the ethics laws.

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Now let's take a walk down history lane:

- Not so many years ago it was commonplace for a PD to gift a retiring officer with the gun s/he carried. Also when guns were traded in for newer models, officers were allowed to buy their guns for a nominal amount of money (usually the same as what the dealer doing the swap was giving the PD). These acts were common across the US, not just in MA. I'm sure that in MA no FA-10s were ever done on these gifts.

- In the 1980s when my PD went from revolvers (S&W 64 and 36?) to semi-autos, I was offered my choice of any of the revolvers for $100 each. I wasn't interested in any more revolvers, so I took a pass.

- In the 2000s when my PD went from Sigs to M&Ps, if I was interested, my PD would put me in touch with the dealer who was swapping the guns and I could buy one from that dealer at whatever price the dealer charged me (likely the trade value + some %-age). You can see the big difference that happened here, due to the ethics laws.

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Now a correction:

- FET is only paid by a gun mfr. and gov't purchases are exempt. So if a PD bought guns, used them and later traded up and offered those guns to the public by auction, no FET is ever paid on those guns and that is perfectly legal.

- If a PD ordered a gun and thus didn't pay FET, and immediately transferred ownership to an officer, they would be in a heap of trouble. IRS could go after all parties for tax fraud. My late Chief ordered my duty gun (as a PT POs we had to pay for all of our own gear) for me from our police supply company. However as I knew and the police supply company explained, when the gun came in I had to go to the company to do the transfer (this was late 1970s, no NICS) and do the FA-10, pay FET (which you really never see in the price but it is there) and MA sales tax (probably 3% back then).
 
If the P.D. is going to sell guns to the public they will need an FFL to do so, or they could sell them thru a local gun shop with the proper FFL . FEDs don't like to be left out of the process. ........................... Jack
 
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