Police Training Article

October 04, 2007

Fla. sheriff's office upgrades to counter criminals

Katie Fretland
Sentinel Staff Writer

TAVARES, Fla. � Central Florida law-enforcement agencies continue arming themselves with powerful weapons, and the latest examples are the Lake County Sheriff's new semiautomatic rifles.

The Sheriff's Office recently acquired 100 Bushmaster .223-caliber semiautomatic carbine rifles, a military-style assault weapon. The rifles are easier to train with and more accurate than the previously used Ruger Mini 14 rifles, deputies said.

"This is a military assault rifle," said Sgt. Ralph McDuffie, clad in camouflage and holding the large weapon at the gun range in Tavares. "This is designed to kill. We're not shooting deer and we're not shooting hogs."

McDuffie, a SWAT team leader, said the sight aperture of the new 30-round rifle is better designed for accurate shooting in crucial situations, such as hostage scenarios.

Law-enforcement officials are buying high-powered weapons to counter heavily armed criminals, said Sheriff Gary Borders. His agency's evidence room is crammed with different types of high-powered firearms seized from suspects.

"The public is arming itself to the teeth," said Lake Sheriff's Capt. Steve Moss.

The Bushmaster rifle purchased in Lake is the same type of weapon used to kill 10 people in the 2002 Washington, D.C. sniper shootings.

Law enforcement can use the gun to stand off against violent suspects at longer ranges, especially in public places where the risk of harm to residents is high. The maximum effective range of the rifle is 400 meters, roughly four football fields.

The Orange County Sheriff's Office and Orlando Police Department also carry semiautomatic rifles.

Orange County Sheriff's Capt. Mark Strowbridge said they have used similar weapons in patrol cars for more than five years. Some of the guns were military surplus rifles, which they converted to make semiautomatic.

Some counties, including Volusia, carry the Ruger Mini 14 rifle, which Lake officials traded in for their new weapons.

The 100 rifles cost $46,275 and were paid for with federal dollars, said Sgt. John Herrell. The weapons will be distributed among patrol deputies, the criminal-investigations unit and school-resource deputies.

"I think it's important for us as law-enforcement professionals to be mindful of the trends displayed by criminals and to remain proactive by equipping ourselves with the most effective tools available," Borders said. "These weapons will not only serve to better protect law-enforcement personnel, but will also enhance the safety of the general public."