The Parsons Police Department will get new weapons after approval by city commissioners Monday evening.
The commission approved the purchase of 36 Glock G-17 Gen 5 Safe Action 9 mm pistols for $11,167.50 from Kieslers Police Supply Inc. The price includes three magazines for each gun and all of the needed attachments, including holsters and night sights, as well as a trade in of $10,610 for the police department’s old Sig Sauer 9 mm pistols.
Parsons Police Chief Robert Spinks requested the purchase of the new guns based on a review of potential firearm replacements by the firearms instructors and staff input. He said in a report that the Glock Model 17 semiautomatic pistol is a standard weapon for policing.
During a Thursday work session, Commissioner Bill Hogelin asked Spinks if prices from other gun dealers were sought. On Monday Spinks submitted his report that showed John’s Sports Center, Pittsburg, gave a price of $26,783. Spinks explained that Glock uses Kieslers, based in Jefferson, Indiana, as its sole-source seller for law enforcement agencies in the Midwest. For that reason, Kieslers was able to charge a lower price through Glock’s Blue Label Plan. Kieslers also was the only company that could provide a trade-in option. Range 54, Wichita, provided a similar price to John’s but advised it wouldn’t provide an official quote because of Glock’s single-source provider program. Two other dealers in Texas provided higher prices as well.
(Read more: Parsons Sun)