CEDAR CITY — The Cedar City Police Department is transitioning from .40-caliber handguns to 9 mm pistols and has requested to dispose of old inventory and list the weapons for sale. That is if the current owners don’t buy them first.
At the April 5 Cedar City Council meeting, Police Chief Darin Adams asked council members to declare its current inventory of .40-caliber Glock handguns and other property as surplus so the items can be sold.
Many of the .40-caliber weapons are over a decade old and at the end of their lifespans. About 18 months ago, the Police Department began researching replacement options. 9 mm guns were previously unpreferred by law enforcement because they lacked stopping power compared to .40-caliber or .45-caliber firearms, Adams said.
However, after attending the FBI’s National Command Course in 2021, Adams learned about a ballistics study they conducted proving that 9 mm pistols were as effective as .40-caliber handguns due to bullet formation, gunpowder and other factors.
Using existing operations funds over two budget cycles, the department purchased 50 new 9 mm handguns, which carry more ammunition, can be more accurate and “offer more technological advances,” according to the information in the council packet. By selling old inventory, the department could recuperate some of these costs.
The department worked with local pawnshops and gun dealers, as well as online brokers, to determine the Glocks’ value and plans to sell them for $250. According to the packet, the weapons would be sold to Sgt. Nathan Williams, who has a federal firearms license and a gun sales business. He has agreed to offer them to police officers before making them available to the public.
“They’re intimately aware of the guns,” Adams said. “Our preference would be to give them the opportunity to buy those as a secondary backup weapon.”
It’s unclear if any of the firearms will be available to the public as most of the officers have shown interest in purchasing them for work, recreation or personal protection, Adams told Cedar City News.
“They train with them,” he said. “They certify on them, and they put a lot of rounds. And I think they look at that as, ‘Hey, this has been a part of me for a while. I’ve carried it with me every day I’ve worked.’ So there’s sentimentality to that.”
Cedar City resident Tom Jett said the proposed price is an “excellent deal” and that allowing police officers the option to purchase their weapons is a “small gesture” as they “do a lot for our community.”
“It’s a great morale builder to give them a first opportunity,” he said.
Other items to be declared surplus include outdated Blackhawk and Streamlight pistol lights, .40-caliber handgun holsters and 26,900 .40-caliber rounds, the packet states.
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