Facing criminals with ever-increasing firepower, the Waco Police Department has changed the type of pistol issued to officers, the first such change in 12 years.
Beginning in January, officers began carrying Glock .40-caliber semi-automatic pistols, replacing the Smith & Wesson 9 mm semi-automatic pistols the department first issued in 1988.
The new guns fire larger bullets, and Waco Police Chief Alberto Melis said that is important, considering criminals are also using larger caliber weapons.
"Most of the time police are behind the curve when it comes to weapons," he said. "We find the real bad guys, not the ones that commit crimes on the spur of the moment, but the real bad guys, tend to be well-armed. You hear repeated reports of situations where officers are outgunned. It is these repeated reports that prompted us to move to the new guns."
REST OF ARTICLE
By MIKE ANDERSON Tribune-Herald staff writer
Beginning in January, officers began carrying Glock .40-caliber semi-automatic pistols, replacing the Smith & Wesson 9 mm semi-automatic pistols the department first issued in 1988.
The new guns fire larger bullets, and Waco Police Chief Alberto Melis said that is important, considering criminals are also using larger caliber weapons.
"Most of the time police are behind the curve when it comes to weapons," he said. "We find the real bad guys, not the ones that commit crimes on the spur of the moment, but the real bad guys, tend to be well-armed. You hear repeated reports of situations where officers are outgunned. It is these repeated reports that prompted us to move to the new guns."
REST OF ARTICLE
By MIKE ANDERSON Tribune-Herald staff writer