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NYC jails have $250,000 worth of sniper rifles, but haven't trained officers on how to use them
By
Charles Lane
Published Dec 27, 2023
Modified Dec 27, 2023
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ED JONES/AFP via Getty Images
By
Charles Lane
Published Dec 27, 2023
Modified Dec 27, 2023
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The city’s Department of Correction has not trained its officers on how to use the $250,000 worth of sniper rifles it purchased a year ago, according to records obtained by Gothamist.
According to training records obtained through open records requests, the department’s Emergency Service Unit has trained mostly on handguns and tactical shotguns over the last year. Officers have not been trained on the M10 sniper rifles nor the MP5 submachine guns, which were also recently purchased for $91,000.
“The MP5 and M10 are currently active firearm platforms within DOC, it doesn’t necessarily mean the firearms are being used on a daily basis or on any given day,” department spokesperson Latima Johnson wrote in an email.
When pressed on having an “active firearm platform” without a correlating training program, the department said the weapons were not in use and development of a sniper requalification course was in its final stages.
According to records, the department’s Emergency Service Unit did appear to train for about eight hours using the Colt M635, a type of submachine gun similar to the MP5.
The purchases and lack of training come amid reports of the department providing vermin-infested food and failing to maintain fire safety systems, and as officials consider a federal takeover of Rikers Island.
Experts told Gothamist the rifles and optical equipment require roughly 40 hours of training to be safe and effective.
“The danger in not getting any training at all is you're not understanding what the gun does,” said Denny Elliott, a former police sniper who now runs Sniper Pro Shop and High Ground Training Group, near Nashville, Tennessee. “If you don't understand the ballistic capability of the weapon, you have a possibility of shooting through intended targets.”
Elliott said proper sniper training involves proper firearm grip, breathing techniques and field tactics to ensure the weapon is handled safely. He also added that there are psychological considerations.
“You're asking an individual to do something pretty specific,” Elliot said in a phone interview. “You're looking at them with a magnified optic. It's pretty intensive. You have to do some level of mental preparedness, as well as the tactical and the basic marksmanship skill set.”
City correction officers are not permitted to carry firearms inside jails. The department initially said that some officers are also first responders, and that the sniper rifles could be used if there were an emergency elsewhere in the city – for example, at LaGuardia Airport.
Marc Bullaro, a former assistant deputy warden at Rikers, said in an interview that it was highly unlikely sniper rifles would ever be used by correction officers.
“Even if there was a hostage situation where they required snipers, I suspect that NYPD or the FBI would be called in,” he said. “I don't think Correction would even use those weapons in that situation.”
Bullaro said he suspects the sniper rifles may be a way to boost morale.
“They just want to include them as the first responders and give them a little training,” he said. “Just a spirit of corps and a cooperation with other agencies. But again, like I said from day one, they will never use those rifles with DOC responsibilities.”
Earlier this year, New York City Mayor Eric Adams cut $17 million in training and detainee services from the Department of Correction. He later warned of painful budget cuts to libraries, schools, police and composting.
City Hall officials did not respond to emails about spending at the Department of Correction.
The headline of this story has been updated to clarify that the sniper rifles are worth a total of $250,000
Tagged
new york city
public safety
Charles Lane
Charles is a Day-of reporter focused on breaking news and enterprise. He’s very friendly and can be reached at [email protected], or more securely on whatsapp/signal 631-295-6715
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