Dear Senators Cornyn, Cortez Masto, Leahy, Cotton, and Tillis,
I am writing on behalf of the members of the Fraternal Order of Police to advise you of our support for S. 4150, the “Federal Law Enforcement Service Weapon Purchase Act,” which would allow Federal law enforcement officers to purchase retired service weapons.
Current Federal Management Regulations require an agency to destroy unneeded firearms by crushing, cutting, breaking, or deforming each firearm to ensure that they are rendered completely inoperable and incapable of being made operable for any purpose except the recovery of basic material content. This regulation accounts for millions of dollars wasted in Federal funding.
Your legislation would allow for some of these costs to be recovered by allowing Federal law enforcement officers to purchase retired service weapons. Currently, several Federal law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), U.S. Secret Service, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, are in the process of replacing their service weapons. These agencies alone account for approximately 20,000 agency-issued firearms that will be scrapped, potentially wasting $8 million. Allowing certified Federal law enforcement officers who are authorized and eligible to purchase their former service weapon, which would otherwise be destroyed, would save the American taxpayer millions of dollars.
On behalf of the more than 364,000 members of the Fraternal Order of Police, I am proud to offer our support for this legislation. If I can be of any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me or Executive Director Jim Pasco in our Washington, D.C. office.
Sincerely,
Patrick Yoes
National President