Politics & Government

Hellertown Police Department Purchases New Guns

Police Chief Robert Shupp told Borough Council May 2 that the department's current firearms are 15 years old and needed to be replaced.

With age things wear out, and even guns eventually lose the effectiveness they had when they were new.

That's why Hellertown Police Chief Robert Shupp told Borough Council members May 2 that his department has arranged to purchase replacements for the 15-year-old firearms officers currently carry.

The department will purchase eighteen .40 caliber Glock pistols equipped with night sights and other features, Shupp said, adding that he compared prices among three different suppliers of guns before making a decision about which one to reward with Hellertown's business.

Find out what's happening in Hellertown-Lower Sauconwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The good news, he continued, is that by trading in the department's current weapons the cost of the new weapons will be "zero dollars."

"Just so you know we will be phasing them in," Shupp explained. "It takes about 45 days."

Find out what's happening in Hellertown-Lower Sauconwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The department's current guns are Glocks, so the purchase of the new weapons won't require officers to undergo any special training, he said.

The new firearms were purchased from Delia's Gun Shop in Philadelphia, which supplies many large police forces, including the Philadelphia Police Department, Shupp noted.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here