do police depts give cops guns, or do they have to buy their own?

Question

i was watching cops and a young cop on the show said that he was so young when he joined the force, that his mom had to buy his gun because he could'nt buy his own?

buy??? cops have to "buy" their own guns? i thought sidearms were departmental issue? i mean, the army does'nt make soldiers buy their own equipment

so if cops have to buy their own guns, do they have a choice of any sidearm? could they buy a desert eagle or a flintlock musket if they wanted that as their sidearm?

Answer 1

Normally the departments issue the guns but the back up gun you have to buy on your own and it has to be a specific caliber. And no they can't have those types of guns they have to be approved since they have to be a specific caliber.

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

It depends on the department, but in Omaha, Ne. Police officers purchase their firearm. The department mandates it must be a Glock, 9mm or .38 caliber. Semi Automatic. Older Officers can carry a .38 revolver. As for a sidearm, most officers don't carry them, unless they are on SWAT or doing a raid. An officer cannot carry a desert eagle as the caliber is much too large. It is pretty much a standard that Officers carry a Glock, although some departments allow berrettas. I applied to be a police officer, and when i was told I would have to purchase a Glock 9mm as opposed to using my Springfield XD .45, I declined. There is no leeway here.

Answer 4

Depends on the department, and how large the department's budget is.

Some police departments issue a uniform shirt and they wear blue jeans, others hand out a half dozen complete uniforms and vests and all that.

Just depends on how much money the department has to spend.

As far as the sidearms police officers carry, some are fortunate enough to get high powered, high quality Glock weapons, others may use surplus WWII guns. There is no set standard: some departments use revolvers, others use semiautomatics.

Answer 5

I know that precincts with a moderate budget don't have to pay for a firearm but they're usually limited to a .9mm with option of buying an authorized arm usually a .45 or a modded .9mm. However, street officers that wear street clothes and a gun on their hip seem to carry a glock a lot in Phoenix. The choice of arm would have to have a clip for easy reload and more bullets. Also, obviously a safety and something that would be too powerful like a Magnum would not be allowed. I would bet that officer was in a smaller city with a low budget or a bad mayor who doesn't fund his police sadly it happens.

Answer 6

When I first started as a Police Officer,(retired now) I had to buy all my own leather, gun, flashlight, baton, boots, batteries, pens, clipboard, note book and ballistic vest. All I was issued was 4 uniforms and one hat.

Now due to insurance liability most agencies and my former agency issue all equipment to the officers.

Answer 7

It depends on the department. I will lay it out for you on my dept., in the top 10 largest cities.

1. uniforms issued
2. duty belt, holster, cuff holster, magazine holders
one pair of handcuffs

I bought my duty gun, asp baton, extra cuffs.

I know in Texas you have to be 21 hrs old to be a cop, so you are old enough to buy what ever you need.

Answer 8

No, Cops are issued a standard operational hand gun. They do not pay for this gun nor do they pay for the ammunition. HOWEVER...a police officer may request permission to use his or her own personal firearm. Should the officer choose to use his or her personal firearm, they must obviously supply the gun as well as the ammunition.

In the cops show, the officer might have been talking about when he received his first gun, at which point the mother would have had to buy him the gun given his youth.

Answer 9

Most depts. issue guns at the police academy, but some depts.ake the officers buy their own guns.

Answer 10

Many depts issue them, but they may buy a backup.