Butler Township Gun Sales

[schr8er2000]

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Published in todays Hazleton Standard Speaker

BOLD is MINE






Butler Twp. police gun sales in question
By AMANDA CHRISTMAN (Staff Writer)
Published: March 11, 2010

JOSH ULANOSKI /Staff Photographer Butler Township supervisors Chairman Ransom Young, left, responds to a question regarding the township police force as Supervisor Brian Kisenwether looks on during Wednesday night's meeting at the Butler Township Municipal Building.

The Butler Township Police Department sold five decommissioned police weapons since 2007 - including one to its own police chief - without notifying the township supervisors or other potential buyers, officials said Wednesday.

Township officials will ask the Luzerne County District Attorney's Office if a probe into the sale of the weapons is warranted.

"We don't know where it's going to go," township solicitor Joseph Baranko said.

At their meeting Wednesday, the supervisors unanimously approved allowing Baranko to notify the district attorney's office of the sale of the five weapons and one holster that occurred from 2007 to 2009.

Supervisors Chairman Ransom Young said he doesn't believe the department did anything illegal but still wants outside authorities to check into the sale of the weapons. He said it appears the sales were done "improperly."

Young said the department handled the money correctly when it was turned over to the township's general fund budget.

"I'm not saying the money disappeared. I'm saying the weapons were disposed of improperly," he said.

Baranko said the supervisors must approve any sale or disposal of township property before a transaction occurs, as per the state's second-class township code. The law states that any property valued at more than $1,000 can only be sold to the highest bidder after an advertisement for bids or public auction in a general-circulation newspaper. Items valued at below $1,000 can be sold without further action by the supervisors, if a procedure for disposing of the property is adopted by resolution, according to the code.

The code also doesn't require a bidding process if the property is traded or sold to certain buyers such as another government entity, nonprofit organization or community service group.

Supervisor Brian Kisenwether said officers other than the chief purchased their own weapons once their service weapons were decommissioned.

Supervisor Robert Shelhamer said the weapons should not have been sold considering some were of a high caliber and could get into the "wrong hands." He suggested the weapons be returned if an investigation ensues.

Kisenwether asked Young why the gun sales came to light now even though they occurred in 2007 and 2009.

Young said he mentioned similar sales by the Luzerne County Sheriff's Department during a conversation at the township office last week when a township employee noted the practice was done in Butler Township for quite some time.

Police Chief Charles Altmiller, who purchased one of the guns in 2007, declined comment on the issue.

Last month, Luzerne County's Acting Sheriff Charles Guarnieri was served a subpoena that requested an inventory of firearms held by the department.

County solicitor Vito DeLuca requested the information after initiating a probe into the sheriff's department's move to sell an antique Thompson submachine gun, known more commonly as a Tommy gun, for $20,000.

Former sheriff Michael Savokinas agreed to the gun sale in August 2009; the transaction was completed after Savokinas resigned and Guarnieri became acting sheriff in September. DeLuca said only county commissioners can approve sales of property, including firearms issued to the sheriff's department.

achristman@standardspeaker.com


WHY is it that WE dont have the chance to BID on these guns ??? WE bought them originally with OUR taxes.... and should be allowed to LEGALLY bid on them also.....

[customloaded]

Its common practice LE Agencies allow sworn personnel to purchase their issued sidearm when they transition to a new weapon system or upgrade and or upon retirement. Don't see the big deal here. Threshhold is $1,000.00 dollars. Can't for the life of me seeing the average sidearm issued by any LE Agency costing more than $1,000.00

[Malinki]

Can't for the life of me seeing the average sidearm issued by any LE Agency costing more than $1,000.00

County solicitor Vito DeLuca requested the information after initiating a probe into the sheriff's department's move to sell an antique Thompson submachine gun, known more commonly as a Tommy gun, for $20,000...

Did you catch that part? I'd have no problem whatsover with LEOs getting dibs on carry weapons, but that? At the very least, it's way over that $1k mark.

[wa3ra]

But it was Sheriff's Department property, donated directly to the sheriff's dept to do with as they saw fit; it was never county property in the first place.

[redeye202]

The sheriffs office is a branch of county government,anything bought,donated or confiscated by the sheriffs office becomes county property. I asked about this while talking to a county detective who is a friend of my son.

[schr8er2000]

Bought, donated or ACQUIRED.... they should still be put on the auction block just like they do with recovered bikes, cars, homes.. etc..... NOONE should be given preferential treatment with COUNTY property......

[redeye202]

Bought, donated or ACQUIRED.... they should still be put on the auction block just like they do with recovered bikes, cars, homes.. etc..... NOONE should be given preferential treatment with COUNTY property......

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The way it is,as opposed to the way it should be,is called politics.