With military conflicts in both Afghanistan and Iraq, police are feeling the impact of ammunition shortage. This shortage in ammo is causing some police departments around the nation to scale-down training programs, and reduce target practice. Some chiefs feel the delay of ammo shipments, for which shipping times have nearly doubled, may begin to impact how police officers function on the street since training and practice will be reduced.
The U.S. military's soaring demand for small-arms ammunition, fueled by two wars abroad, has left domestic police agencies less able to quickly replenish their supplies, leading some to conserve rounds by cutting back on weapons training, police officials said.
Of course, the wars are not the only variables causing a shortage. Following the Sept. 11 terror attacks and the hurricane Katrina fiasco, police departments have increased ammo reserves dramatically, as well as stepping up the use of the AR-15 rifle, which uses the same type of ammo as the standard issue military rifle.
"What we're seeing is orders for law enforcement ammunition that have increased 40 percent in just the last year," said Brian Grace, a spokesman for Alliant Techsystems, a leading supplier for police departments across the country. The company plans a $5 million expansion to increase manufacturing capacity at two plants, he said.
Some police departments are reacting to the shortage by pooling resources with local departments, or preparing in advance for the delays by ordering more ammo when making purchases.
D.C. police, like many large urban agencies, have coped with the shortage by increasing the size of their orders and placing them six months in advance, officials said.
It seems nobody EVER wants to talk about "money" around here or anywhere..(the vast majority of folks--especially imo college-trained 'economists'-- appear unable to talk intelligently about 'money' anyway!)
It seems it's been that way for a loooooong time in America and elsewhere..
Consequently, it seems people NEVER get at the root$ of problems..
Just more endless flailing at the branches and leaves of evil/injustice..
Again, it can't be a good thing when the fundamental nature, origin, etc. of the greate$t de$ire of many American$ is so miserably 'understood'..
Give me the power to control the issuance of money and I (and apparently Nathan Rothschild too) care not a wit who writes the stinking laws!.. ;o)
I grew up thinking those things were necessary, Coach. Fortunately, I wisened up and educated myself. FSM knows my parents and teachers never taught me anything about freedom. They glossed over the founding fathers in (public) school. And, I consider myself and intelligent, curious, observant person. What can we expect from the slow, close-minded, blinded masses? For most of them the only education they'll ever get is from public school or church. Yikes!
End the drug war and the police won't need so many bullets in the first place.
End the Iraq war, too, of course.
Posted by: Hascat at August 28, 2007 12:42 PM