Firearms Awarded To Algood PD Declared Surplus

The Algood City Council has voted to surplus 20 firearms awarded to the police department.

Police Chief Dale Armour said the District Attorney and local judge recently cleared the weapons for auction.

“The TCA (Tennessee Code Annotated) gives us authority to sell those weapons. That’s about all we can do unless they’re inoperable,” Armour said. “By statute, that money has to go back to the department for buying firearms, ammunition, or ballistic vests.”

Eagle Auction will handle the online sale of the guns, with S&R Guns conducting the all the transfers. Armour said many of the weapons made their way to the police department as a result of court cases.

“Some of the guns were brought in by family members or the public who did not want firearms in their house anymore. They basically abandoned them to the department,” Armour said. “The weapons that were reported stolen, all of them that we could return to the rightful owner we have.”

Armour said it’s hard to say how much money the city will get from the firearms sales. He said it’s the first time he’s asked the council to surplus weapons since he became chief.

“We’re very sensitive to the fact that these weapons are sold in a manner that’s legal. That’s why the city does not take the responsibility of selling those weapons. We go through a licensed firearms dealer and auction process so that we have no control over what comes in,” Armour said. “Once we get those weapons sold we will have a report back for the council. I’m also required by statute to notify the judge what the disposition of those firearms were after we removed them from our inventory.”

City Council approved a measure to surplus the items during last week’s meeting.