Northland News Center – by Jennifer Austin
A nationwide ammunition shortage has police departments across the country counting their bullets. It’s no different in Proctor, where the Chief says he was told he’d have to wait months, even a year to get more ammo.
“I was really surprised, let’s just put it that way,” said Chief Walt Wobig of the difficulty getting ammunition.
Woberg says that when he asked suppliers for the 1,000 rounds of ammo his officers needed for training, he was told he’d have to wait months.
“I go, ‘Do you have 40–caliber qualification rounds?’ And they go, ‘Well, no. It’s going to take six to eight months [to get them],'” said Wobig of a conversation with a manufacturer.
Retailers say the nationwide shortage is due in part to people stockpiling ammunition in response to recently proposed gun legislation.
“It was getting a little short last fall, so they were already behind, but there definitely is panic,” said Superior Shooters Supply owner, Pat Kukull of the shortage, “We’ve [the store] been here for 35 years and I’ve never seen anything like it.”
With the Proctor Police Department in need of ammunition, the Chief sent out a call asking for help. Who answered? The very people his officers are sworn to protect.
“The citizens were like, ‘If you need something, we got plenty here,'” said Wobig.
A citizen and a Proctor police officer loaned their personal ammunition to the Department, a total of 1,500 rounds. The Chief says others were willing to help too.
“I had several other calls from other citizens that said, ‘Hey, if you need more ammunition we have plenty,'” said Woberg, “I know that if I need ammunition I have citizens out there that will gladly come forward.”
The Chief says he still has ammunition on order and will be repaying the citizens for their contributions when the department is able to.
He also sent in a request to Senators Al Franken and Amy Klobuchar for help regarding their ammunition shortage.
Written for the web by Jennifer Austin.
Rrriiiiiiigghhhttttt. As if we are going to believe the psychopaths’ appeal to the locals to turn in (oops, the word is “donate”) their ammunition.