Allegheny Township to equip police with handguns despite supervisor saying policy should be rewritten

In a first for Allegheny Township, the supervisors voted to equip its police officers with handguns purchased by the township.

The 2-1 vote to make the purchase came after a debate, not about if the purchase should be made, but about the caliber of the weapons being bought in regard to township police policy.

Using a grant from the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office, the township is buying 15 Glock GEN5 Model 17 MOS semiautomatic 9 mm handguns, with night sights and holsters.

The purchase will be from the Witmer Public Safety Group at a cost of $9,341. It comes at the recommendation of police Chief Duane Fisher.

Supervisor Jamie Morabito opposed the move, citing a section of the township police policy.

“I’m not against the purchase of the handguns. I’m against the caliber, the 9 mm,” he said.

Referring to the policy, Morabito said, “What it states now is they must carry a .40- or .45-caliber or larger. If they were permitted to carry 9 mms before, why didn’t they?”

The policy section 4.1.9 Authorized Firearms states what Morabito said under the heading of “issued duty handguns.”

Township Manager Greg Primm said as far as anyone involved with township government can remember, this is the first time the township will provide officers with service pistols. He said up to now, the officers always bought their own gun.

Further on in that section under the heading of “additional duty handguns,” the policy states that a personally owned additional handgun may be carried by officers with the chief’s permission, and 9 mm handguns are among those allowed in that instance.

Morabito said he would be fine with the purchase if the policy is rewritten. He said any such change has to go through the union for approval.

“If this would go to arbitration and we lose, then we have $10,000 worth of firearms we could not use,” Morabito said.

Supervisors Chairman Michael Korn disagreed.

“The type of weapon is a management right,” Korn said. He said township Solicitor Bernie Matthews gave an opinion to that effect, which also states that approval by the union is not required.

Morabito said if there is documentation to that effect, he would be fine with it. Township Manager Greg Primm said Matthews issued that opinion in the form of an email, which Primm forwarded to all three supervisors. Morabito said he had not seen it.

“I don’t think we want to start bargaining with the police over the tools they use,” Korn said.

Fisher quoted language from the police collective bargaining agreement with the township that stated the type of weapon issued is a management prerogative.

“It only goes to arbitration if the union grieves it,” Korn said.

After the meeting, Morabito was asked if he knew of any officers who are considering filing a grievance on the issue, but he declined to comment.

Fisher said he made the recommendation for the purchase of the 9 mm weapons after the department’s officers test-fired them along with the other-caliber weapons.

He said with the exception of one person, the officers either favored the 9 mm or were ambivalent about the caliber of the weapon they will be issued as long as it does what is intended.