By Sean Copeland
BLOOMINGTON – Bloomington Police are touting their haul of 10 illegal guns in 30 days. Several firearms have been confiscated individually in various situations where officers were called to crime scenes.
Police Chief Brendan Heffner told WJBC’s Susan Saunders officers can’t always predict when they will find one.
“It can be the result of a search warrant, a lot of times, narcotic search warrants. It can just be the result of a traffic stop,” said Heffner.
Heffner said a common place people get a hold of guns illegally is by breaking into cars. People are known to leave guns there deciding they don’t want to conceal and carry them everywhere, because it isn’t all that comfortable to carry one around all the time.
Heffner also explained his department will purchase body cameras for officers eventually. More and more communities across the nation are using body cameras, as a way to document police activity and hold law enforcement accountable when interacting with the public. But Heffner adds it’s important to find the “right fit” – he is still looking for a type of body camera for officers that makes smart sense functionally and financially.
“Just like your phone, just like your computer, and everything else sometimes they just don’t work. We want to minimize the percentage of them not working, should be lower than what we’ve been experiencing of late. So we’re getting ready to change gears,” said Heffner.
In addition, Bloomington Police are looking to add to their ranks; calling for new entry level officers. Information on how to apply can be found on their website and social media page.
Heffner also discussed the topic of marijuana use. On the heels of an Illinois House and Senate committee hearing debating marijuana legalization, Heffner said legal access won’t make illicit behavior go away. He said even if it is legalized, some people will still want to get it in shady ways.
“Even when it’s sold legally, there’s always that thing people want to get it illegally because they feel like they’re getting a deal, plus they’re not paying taxes on something,” Heffner explained. “So you’re always going to have a black market out there, no matter what.”
Sean Copeland can reached at [email protected].
