CrimeBeat: What happens to the Police Department’s old guns?

CrimeBeat Q&A is a weekly feature in which police reporter Julie Johnson answers readers' questions about local crimes and the law.

Many months ago, the Police Department changed out its sidearms for a new model and caliber. What happened to the other sidearms?

- M., Santa Rosa

The Santa Rosa Police Department has been gradually replacing its .40-caliber weapons with a Glock 9mm pistol since last year.

Chief Hank Schreeder said this was done to streamline maintenance and training by having all officers use the same weapon. Before, they used firearms from a variety of makers, such as Heckler & Koch and SIG SAUER.

The department purchased 210 weapons in April 2015 for its force of roughly 175 sworn officers, from the chief down. The cost was about $93,000 to transition the entire department. That doesn't include other kinds of firearms purchased in much smaller numbers to outfit specialized units.

The old guns will remain in storage while the city decides what to do with them. Schreeder said each firearm is worth roughly $400, not including accessories or ammunition.

Deputy City Manager Gloria Hurtado said city staff are preparing to put out a notice to federally licensed firearms dealers about the available weapons, which they could buy to refurbish and sell to other law enforcement agencies.

“It allows us to recover some money off the no longer used weapons, but also it restricts where those weapons will go,” Hurtado said.

The department does not resell the weapons it seizes during investigations. Those guns are destroyed. The police evidence team disposed of 207 seized guns in 2015 and the early months of 2016, according to the department's annual report, published in May.

Submit your questions about crime, safety and criminal justice to Staff Writer Julie Johnson at julie.johnson@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @jjpressdem.