Montclair PD white glove service (courtesy montclair.patch.com)

Earlier this month, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America convinced Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop to inject an anti-gun litmus test into his police department’s firearm procurement process. Nine days later, 109 Garden State members of Mayors Against Illegal Guns told the world they’re happy to sacrifice cops’ safety for political correctness. A week after that, Rabbi Joel Mosbacher returned from a European civilian disarmament tour to announce that he, too, wants police departments to force gunmakers to kow-tow to disarmament. And now Rabbi Elliott Tepperman of B’nai Keshet is twisting arms in Montclair, New Jersey, trying to inject politics where it doesn’t belong: equipping cops with suitable firearms. Montclair Police Chief David Sabagh says hell no! Ish. In fact . . .

In Montclair, the major purchaser of taxpayer-funded guns is the Montclair Police Department. Currently, the municipal police use .40 cal. Glock firearms as their official, department-issued guns. This came after a switch from Smith and Wesson 9mm handguns, which the department made around 1994, according to Lt. Angel Roman.

Montclair Police Chief David Sabagh said that the municipal police purchase new weapons on a five- to seven-year cycle. The department’s old weapons are traded back to Glock, which gives the department a discount on the new weapons.

“This reduces the cost substantially,” noted Sabagh.

Roman told The Times that municipal police consider factors such as efficiency, maintenance, accuracy, and safety when choosing what manufacturer to buy from.

Sabagh said that ethical considerations are not currently a main factor in choosing what gun to equip Montclair‘s police, but added that the Township Council has a right to offer its input. If the elected officials want the Police Department to add ethical factors into its purchasing decision, then the MPD would consider their advice.

We’ll take it into consideration. How . . . politic.

If it was me I’d say something like “This department will not do anything to sacrifice the safety of our officer or the general public, or interfere with the public’s Constitutionally-protected right to keep and bear arms.” Of course, that second part is really, really funny given New Jersey’s de facto concealed carry ban. So . . . this is going to get worse.

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34 COMMENTS

  1. I think Glock will happily lose a 7 year $100,000 contract to maintain the $300,000 a month they make from law abiding Gun owners. These idiots are so stupid. They think that these government contracts will make or break a Gun company.

    The 5-0 should get double taps and hi-points..

    • While there are companies that have substantial state and federal contracts, if they stopped them, flooded the market, and dropped the pricing a little, they would make it up in volume.
      Most modern rifle companies are running at capacity and probably will continue to do so. My LGS has lot’s of pistols now, so at least that stock is back up.
      Yesterday we had lines out the door, folks were buying what ever they had, stripped lowers, ready to shoot guns, anything and everything.
      Ammo is still a scarce as a virgin on prom night, but you can get the guns.

    • If the NYPD were to be issued Doubletaps for a service pistol the world would be a safer place.

      • It might improve their hit probability. 1) If they know they have only two shots they will take more time to aim accurately, and 2) Bad guys will have a difficult time firing back accurately while they are rolling on the ground laughing.

  2. Considering Glock submitted an amacus brief on the Pina v CID case in California, and told Gun Zone Radio folks, that California can go F%^& it’s self and it laws, I am guessing they don’t fall into acceptable category.

    • I don’t know.. I would think that Glock would rather save face in the eyes of LE (not the I blame them) and continue to sell to them in Kommiefornia even if they were banned to civvies.

      And given that is exactly the case as the Kommiefornia DoJ just banned over two-dozen pages of previously legal and perfectly useable semi-automatic pistols and that Glock continues to sell to and service pistols for LE there, they’re not going to pull a Ronnie Barrett (plus 150+ other companies) and discontinue gubmint contracts in any state that bans their product.

      Smith & Wesson hasn’t.

      ArmaLite hasn’t.

      Colt hasn’t.

      FN-H hasn’t.

      H&K sure as fuck won’t.

      Remington hasn’t.

      None of the major players have done that yet (‘cept for ole’ Ronnie).

      • Many of the smaller gun manufacturers have stated they will not sell to government agencies in states like New York and California. What we need to do is pressure the major manufacturers to also stop sales and let them know that if they continue to sell, they will be boycotted. Glock, Smith & Wesson and the other big companies will not survive on government contracts alone. And we need to pressure ammo companies not to sell their products in the same states.
        I actually was told by some purported college professor from California that it would be illegal for the gun industry to stop sales to government agencies. Needless to say, he could not cite one law or statute.

    • Glock sells to LE at a substantial discount, and offers sweet contracts to LEOs. ProForce sells new Gen 4 Glock 23’s for $398.20 plus taxes and fees. They are a Glock distributors who only sell to LE. The Trijicon sight upgrade runs another $50.

      Glock is playing a little to both sides, and selling a lot of guns.

  3. In the words of the immortal John McClane:

    “WELCOME TO THE PARTY, PAL!”

    Enjoy it, NJ coppers.

  4. The police chief is making the right statement. Montclair, NJ is a few miles from Newark which is seeing a rise in murder they haven’t seen in nearly 20 years. There’s a lot of crime that spills over, particularly drug related. However, half of the town is very affluent. The type of affluent people that are prone to falling for a guilt trip. Until, of course, the crimes happen top them.

    • I very much doubt that those “affluent people” would be guilt-tripped in the least, and would almost happily go to their graves while resting on the sordid delusion that they are morally superior in being a victim than availing themselves of evil.

      Newark has always been a crime-ridden flea trap, and isn’t all that much different from Trenton, which itself is a certifiable cesspool of scum and villainy.

  6. I wonder if Rabbi Elliott Tepperman of B’nai Keshet is exempt from taxes. If he wants to continue down this route, he should lose it.

    • You know, that’s a VERY good point, given the temperament of the current Washington administration.

  7. I would have said something along the lines of “I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom I provide, then questions the manner in which I provide it! I’d rather you just said thank you and went on your way.”

  8. There are not really that many manufacturers for duty weapons. I am hoping that each of them responds with a simple, “no”. Just return the form blank. If Sig-Sauer, Glock, Springfield Arms,, and S&W simply opt out, the entire thing just goes away. Or not. But in either case, gun rights wins.

  9. Given the context of natural rights and the 2nd Amendment wouldn’t the “ethical” thing be to only buy from companies that support ordinary civilians RKBA?

  11. What is it with the mafia-riddled states (NY, NY, CT, RI) being the ones toughest on guns? It reminds me of the anti-pornography legislation, against which the mob hired lobbyists, and the anti-drug-war legislation which the mob decried.

    One day New Jersey voters are going to wake up and realize they’ve actually lived the nightmare, the one in which they go to school and don’t realize until they’re there that they forgot to put their pants on. That’s how foolish it looks. The mob gets guns and the rackets. The cops get guns and extortion-level pay. And they both tell Joe Citizen and the politicians to shut up and stay out of their way. Nice.

  12. These bid requests and responses would be open to FOIA as well as all communications with MDA, the good Rabbi etc.

    Wait until the bidding process is closed, then FOIA all the docs, and communications. including all communications with outside entities surrounding the bidding process.

    Find out what and how the manufacturers responded, and out them publicly if needed.

  14. Dont see anything specific in the links on Rabbi Elliot to be fair here but I might have missdd it.

    Hes got all the right checks in the block for a holier than thou gun grabber of the leftish flavor that seems sadly all too common in The Tribe: UC Santa Cruz grad; union organizer; community organizer, environmental activist. What is it about “Never Again” that he doesnt get?

    Why do men of the cloth feel compelled at tkmes to deny others their frredom?

    • It’s that pesky “God” that demands abject obedience. “Yeah, sure, you’ve got free will. You’re free to choose to obey me and live, or disobey me and burn in hell for eternity.” They’re worshiping the God of Power instead of the God of Love.

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