By Mark Bellinger
Shelbyville, Tenn. - A
nationwide shortage of ammunition is affecting some local police departments. Some of them are facing delays ordering ammunition
from distributors. No one is short on
supplies, but they're waiting on new shipments.
The
Shelbyville Police Department keeps thousands of rounds of ammunition under lock and key. Lieutenant
Trey Clanton orders ammunition for the department's 41 sworn officers. Each year officers fire 12,000 rounds mostly
in training. Clanton couldn't help but
notice a run on ammunition at the local gun shops.
This gun
shop won't even sell you the popular 9 millimeter ammunition unless you buy a 9
millimeter handgun. Owner Bill Hornaday
will only sell customers two boxes of 22 caliber bullets per day. "My customers are what made the business, so
I want to try and make sure if they want some ammo they can have some and one
guy, two guys or three guys won't buy it all," says Hornaday.
So, Lieutenant Clanton decided
to order ammunition for the police department a little earlier than normal. "They'll tell you we don't have it in stock," says
Clanton. "So, we've got to order it and they've got to order it straight from
the manufacturer."
He found there would be a
longer than usual wait for his shipment to arrive. Lieutenant Clanton says he isn't worried -
the department will NOT run out of ammunition.
"We're by in no means or shape form or
fashion in dire need of ammo. We're not
out or anything like that," says Clanton. "We're just trying to foresee what's going on
and making our orders just a little bit earlier than we generally do."
Shelbyville
is not the only department waiting for ammunition. A spokeswoman for the Tennessee Highway
Patrol has been waiting on an order that was placed in August. Despite the wait, she says the agency does
NOT have an ammunition shortage.
Email: mbellinger@newschannel5.com
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