When Bethlehem police officers retire, many of them choose to purchase their sidearm. They obviously have sentimental value. Moreover, they are probably the weapon with which a retiring officer is most familiar and accurate. These sales have always been perfunctory until Hillary Kwiatek was elected to City Council. She has consistently voted No to allowing officers to buy these weapons. She claims it's a matter of conscience, but it's actually blatant virtue signaling.
Here's suggestion for Bethlehem City Council. It's time to enact an ordinance that allows a retiring officer in good standing to leave with his firearm and the city's thanks.
Just exactly which "virtue" is she "signaling?"
ReplyDeleteBernieOHare to DocRoc, that Bethlehem is so pure it has no need of guns in thehands of retired police officers; that she is anti-gun and those who own them are evil.
ReplyDeleteAllentown has their officers pay for their weapons and at not much of a discount.
ReplyDeleteSounds like another Democrat idiot.
ReplyDeleteThey should be able to buy their guns. No problem. No free give away. You buy the gun and give it to them Mr. Big spender. As a taxpayer, I pay for a hefty pension and healthcare for life. Stop kissing up
ReplyDeleteBullshit they should be given their weapon when they retire!!! These are the same people that run into danger when we tax payers run away from it!! $350.00 isn’t going to solve the money problem of Bethlehem. Sounds like your alittle jealous that you didn’t have the balls to serve as a police officer and get the pension they deserve
DeleteWhere can you buy semi-auto pistols for $350?
DeleteThey don't have any Healthcare offered upon retirement. Research before reacting.
Delete7:15 a lot of rounds have been put through those guns. I’m sure you can find used ones in that price range. It’s a discounted price but not by much.
DeleteAllowing the Officers to purchase their service weapon makes sense. Would you rather sell it to a person who carried it for 20+ years without issue or an unknown person? And the money should be reinvested in the Police Department who are inherently anti-gun crime. The Police already work to end gun trafficking and illegal gun crime locally. Why give money to a group/organization that may or may not focus on Bethlehem? If City Council cared about combating gun violence they would ask the Chief what has been done with the Gun Violence Investigation and Prosecution Grant they were awarded earlier this year.
DeleteIf I remember correctly she wanted to put the $350.00 dollars toward a gun violence program instead of having the money go to repair firearms used by the city or the purchase of new firearms. This would then add $350.00 for new expenses in purchasing or repairing the present firearms.
ReplyDeletePolice should never respond to any request for assistance from Hillary. Or, at least, they should respond v e r y s l o w l y to instruct her on the importance of policing in a city that's increasingly more dangerous and dirty and unsafe.
ReplyDeleteOne look at her Twitter thread is all you need to do to understand she’s a child trapped in adult’s body.
ReplyDeleteHillary probably feels that police officers should be unarmed even on duty! Evil handguns should be banned in Bedlum.
ReplyDeleteBethlehem, my home, is about as ‘woke’ as a city can get. They trip all over themselves in virtue signaling. Hypocrites around every corner.
ReplyDeleteWhen my father retired from the Newark (NJ) police department in the late 1980s, the tradition was for the squad to pitch in to buy a sidearm similar to that issued by the City. I have my father's .38 snub because of that. Haven't fired it in over 30 years, but I appreciate having it as a memory of all he did for our family.
ReplyDeleteI’m afraid Hillary is a lightweight on this issue. I doubt that she would understand either the symbolism or the sentiment involved in an officer of the law keeping the sidearm that he, or she, relied on.
ReplyDeleteKwiatek, who holds an M.A. in Folk Studies from Western Kentucky University, appears to be in the "defund the police" mindset. Read between the lines in some of the articles she's appeared in during her campaign for city council.
ReplyDelete"They should be able to buy their guns. No problem. No free give away. You buy the gun and give it to them Mr. Big spender. As a taxpayer, I pay for a hefty pension and healthcare for life. Stop kissing up"
ReplyDeleteA police officer puts his life on the line every time he pits on his uniform. The least the public can do after he retires in good standing is donate to him the firearm that kept him alive. That should be sop.
"One look at her Twitter thread is all you need to do to understand she’s a child trapped in adult’s body."
ReplyDeleteI'm not particularly bothered by her Twitter feed. I could never get into Twitter, mostly bc I am too verbose.
A look at rates of domestic violence and domestic extremism among police suggest police are no more virtuous than the general public when it comes to responsible gun ownership. Institutionalized and sentimentalizing the gifting of deadly weapons is a dangerous idea. Stick to gold watches, golf clubs and fountain pens.
ReplyDeleteShe's anti gun and anti police. Period. At least have the guts to say what you believe.
ReplyDeleteI had the misfortune to serve on a committee with Ms. Kwiatek. Within minutes of meeting her, I could tell she was someone from whom I would distance myself. If she wasn’t promoting herself (or her new glasses), she was pontificating about what would make “her” city better. When I reminded her that she was a transplant and that others, especially those born and raised in the city, may have a differing view, I was greeted with rolled eyes. Her opinion is the only one that matters.
ReplyDeleteHer attitude is likely the same one that Reynolds backed Laird will bring to council if elected. Bethlehem really needs a check & balance on council vs the Reynolds puppets like Kwiatek.
ReplyDeleteLaird is perhaps the most well-informed candidate for local office I have ever encountered. Without doubt, she leans more to the left than I, but I would not lump her in with Kwiatek. She told me she's a listener, which instantly distinguishes her.
ReplyDeleteI believe city council candidates should be provided a questionnaire and the position on donating firearms to a retiring officer is one question that should be posed, along with supporting a task force to combat human trafficking that was shot down by Kwiatek, Van Wirt, Wilhelm and Leon. I believe Leon has reconsidered.
The Chief's comments that night clearly indicated that their Department works with another federal Agency to combat human trafficking, and has done so successfully for several years. Council didn't vote to not help victims, they voted to dance the the person they came with. Someone more profound than me once said "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". HSI has a function which deals with borders. International ones, not state one's.
DeleteWhen a police officer retires he never leaves his job behind him. Some are pursued by those criminals he arrested as part of his duty People like that never forget a grudge. Then there are those idiots who hate police without regards to employment status. Most officers never forget the pledge to protect and serve. how many times do you hear "a former police officer" assisted with an arrest. They are well trained in firearms safety and use. Knowing this, they would have to buy their own gun otherwise. Letting them keep their weapon is a way of showing appreciation for their service. I'll the teeny tiny pittance of my tax dollar to that.
ReplyDeleteAmen
DeleteWell said
Delete"Where can you buy semi-auto pistols for $350?"
ReplyDeleteIt makes little difference to me if the cost is $350 or $1,000. It's a very small price to pay for someone who dedicated his or her career to keeping us safe and who risked his life in the process. Also, as a reader pointed out, retired and off-duty cops are often the people who will stop a crime in progress.
Sell the guns to the highest bidder and pay the Hirko money back to taxpayers. Fair.
ReplyDeleteGet over it or get into the fight against crime. Not everything is perfect.
DeleteFight against crime? What type of crime? Does white collar crime count? Or how about the crime of obstruction of justice by a former White House sitting president? How about the the January 6th insurrectionist? Will you be as vigilant to fight against those types of criminals?
DeleteOr do you just mean crimes that black or brown people commit?
I see through your dog whistles…
Actually was referring to local crime considering the person mentioned a local topic. I sure hope you are not able to possess guns! You sure went off the rails, just a bit.
DeleteKwiatek or quack quack, She actually had a post on her Facebook asking the voters if they would be confused if she dyed her hair back to her original color. She cared more about protecting illegal immigrants over protecting abused woman and children. That is insane and so far out of the realm of responsible!
ReplyDeleteBernieOHare to 10:55, actually, most of those abused women are themselves undocumented. So she is not helping them.
ReplyDeleteGuns can be donated to retiring police officers but they would still have to pass a background check.
ReplyDelete