Stimulus Watch

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[edit] General Description

[edit] Points in Favor

Estimated department pricing on a basic AR-15 carbine: ~$800.

Estimated department pricing on a basic optic (EOTech or Aimpoint): ~$400

Add 3 magazines per rifle, at $15/magazine, and you're adding another $50 or so per rifle.

Now you've got to talk ammo. Scenario: you're being held hostage by a crazed individual who's decided to kill you, and the responding officer on the scene is about to take a shot at him. Would you prefer that the officer receive the minimum amount of training (training=ammo), and has only fired perhaps a maximum of 100 or 200 rounds from his rifle, ever? (For reference, 100-200 rounds equates to maybe, at most, half a day of training). Or would you prefer that he or she knows what they're doing, and can confidently take that shot to save your life? At approximately $350 per 1000 rounds, the ammo cost adds up quickly. How much training do you want the officer trying to save your life to have had?

Rifle+optic+three mags+case of ammo=$1600 per officer. Most people would recommend spending about twice that much for quality (more reliable/better rifle, spare magazines, better optic, more ammo for training, etc). At $1604/officer, Pembroke Pines is arguably cutting corners on essential safety equipment.

[edit] Points Against

Per http://www.ppines.com/police/headquarters.html there are 245 sworn officers. That's $1604 per rifle, if one is purchased for every single officer.

That's about right for a single AR-15, bought retail. A police department can't buy wholesale?

But no more than half of those officers are likely to be on duty at any given time, much less out in a patrol car.

It's a ridiculous amount of money for the purpose, pointing to either blatant corruption or blinding stupidity. Or both.

Do it, but just buy less than 1/2 as many rifles.