WHAT THE POLICE ARE PACKING
The attempts to ban so-called assault rifles is just the latest in a series of controversies involving firearms. Police officers have complained, for example, that they are being outgunned. And while no one can be sure what the bad guys are packing, Orange County police officers have several alternatives. The following list shows the official sidearm issued for individual officers, what is carried in patrol cars and the hardware used by special units such as SWAT teams:
ANAHEIM
Individual officer issue: Smith & Wesson .38- or .45-caliber revolver, 9-millimeter semiautomatic or .45-caliber semiautomatic pistol. City issues the weapon.
Patrol car: Remington 870 12-gauge shotgun.
Special unit: Automatic assault rifles; high-powered sniper rifles; Heckler & Koch MP-5 rifles.
BREA
Individual officer issue: Smith & Wesson .38 or .45 revolver or .45 semiautomatic pistol. City issues the weapon.
Patrol car: Remington 870 shotgun.
Special unit: Remington 870 laser-aimed shotguns and Ruger mini-14 carbines.
BUENA PARK
Individual officer: Smith & Wesson .38 or .45 revolver, .357 magnum, or 9-mm. semiautomatic pistol. Officers provide their own weapons.
Patrol car: Remington 870 shotgun.
Special unit: Sawed-off shotguns; Heckler & Koch MP-5 rifles; AR-15 assault rifles; Benelli Super-90 M-1 12-gauge shotguns.
COSTA MESA
Individual officer: Smith & Wesson semiautomatic .45 pistol. City issues the weapon.
Patrol car: Remington 870 shotgun.
Special unit: AR-15 assault rifles; Uzi submachine guns; .308 sniper rifles; Remington 1100 12-gauge shotguns.
CYPRESS
Individual officer: Smith & Wesson .38 revolver or 9-mm. semiautomatic pistol. City issues the weapon.
Patrol car: Remington 870 shotgun.
Special unit: Use Sheriff’s Department.
DANA POINT
Policed by Sheriff’s Department.
FOUNTAIN VALLEY
Individual officer: Smith & Wesson .38 revolver or .45 semiautomatic pistol. City issues the weapon.
Patrol car: Remington 870 shotgun.
Special unit: Submachine guns; sniper rifles; assault rifles.
FULLERTON
Individual officer: Smith & Wesson .38 revolver or .45 semiautomatic pistol. City issues the weapon.
Patrol car: Remington 870 shotgun.
Special unit: Heckler & Koch HK-91 semiautomatic rifles; automatic rifles; modified shotguns.
GARDEN GROVE
Individual officer: Smith & Wesson .38 revolver, Sig-Sauer or Colt .45 semiautomatic pistol. City issues the weapon.
Patrol car: Remington 870 shotgun.
Special unit: AR-15 assault rifles; Ruger 77-.308 sniper rifles.
HUNTINGTON BEACH
Individual officer: Smith & Wesson .38 revolver or Sig-Sauer .45-semiautomatic pistol. City issues the weapon.
Patrol car: Remington 870 or Smith & Wesson 12-gauge shotgun.
Special unit: AR-15 assault rifles; Heckler & Koch MP-5 rifles; sniper rifles.
IRVINE
Individual officer: Sig-Sauer .45 semiautomatic, Smith & Wesson .38 revolver or Smith & Wesson .45 revolver. City issues the weapon.
Patrol car: Remington 870 shotguns.
Special unit: AR-15 assault rifles
LAGUNA BEACH
Individual officer: Smith & Wesson .38 or .45 revolver, .45-caliber or 9-mm. semiautomatic pistol. City issues the weapon.
Patrol car: Remington 870 shotguns.
Special unit: Use Sheriff’s Department.
LA HABRA
Individual officer: Smith & Wesson or Colt .38 or .357 magnum, or Smith & Wesson 9-mm. semiautomatic pistol. City issues the weapon.
Patrol car: Remington 870 or Smith & Wesson 12-gauge shotgun.
Special unit: Heckler & Koch HK-91 rifles; AR-18 assault rifles; sniper rifles; various semiautomatic rifles.
LA PALMA
Individual officer: Sig-Sauer, Colt or Smith & Wesson .45-semiautomatic pistol. Officers provide own weapons.
Patrol car: Remington 870 shotgun.
Special unit: AR-15 assault rifles; Heckler & Koch MP-5 rifles; sniper rifles.
LOS ALAMITOS
Individual officer: Smith & Wesson .45 semiautomatic pistol. City issues the weapon.
Patrol car: Remington 870 shotgun.
Special unit: Declined to state.
MISSION VIEJO
Policed by Sheriff’s Department.
NEWPORT BEACH
Individual officer: Smith & Wesson .38 revolver. City issues the weapon.
Patrol car: Remington 870 or Smith & Wesson 12-gauge shotgun.
Special unit: Heckler & Koch MP-5 and HK-93 rifles; .223 assault rifles; .308 sniper rifles.
ORANGE
Individual officer: Smith & Wesson .38 or .45 revolver or 9-mm. semiautomatic; or Ruger .38 or Colt .45 revolver. City issues the weapon.
Patrol car: Remington 870 shotgun.
Special unit: Declined to state.
PLACENTIA
Individual officer: Smith & Wesson .38 revolver, .45-caliber or 9-mm. semi-
automatic pistols. City issues the weapon.
Patrol car: Remington 870 shotgun.
Special unit: M-14 sniper rifles.
SAN CLEMENTE
Individual officer: Colt .45 semiautomatic pistol. City issues the weapon.
Patrol car: Remington 870 shotgun.
Special unit: Declined to state.
SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO
Policed by Sheriff’s Department.
SANTA ANA
Individual officer: Smith & Wesson .38 revolver or .45 semiautomatic pistol, or Beretta 9-mm. semiautomatic pistol. City issues the weapon.
Patrol car: Ithaca 12-gauge shotguns.
Special unit: Ruger 77 sniper rifles.
SEAL BEACH
Individual officer: Colt .45 semiautomatic pistol. City issues the weapon.
Patrol car: Remington 870 shotgun.
Special unit: M-16 automatic rifles; MAC-10 submachine guns; .308 rifles.
STANTON
Policed by Sheriff’s Department.
TUSTIN
Individual officer: Smith & Wesson .357 revolver. City issues the weapon.
Patrol car: Remington 870 shotgun.
Special unit: Use Sheriff’s Department.
VILLA PARK
Policed by Sheriff’s Department.
WESTMINSTER
Individual officer: Smith & Wesson 9-mm. semiautomatic or .38 revolver; or Beretta 9-mm. semiautomatic or Colt .38 revolver. City issues the weapon.
Patrol car: Remington 870 shotgun.
Special unit: Semiautomatic rifles.
YORBA LINDA
Policed by Brea Police Department.
ORANGE COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT
Individual officer: .38 Smith & Wesson revolver. County issues the weapon.
Patrol car: Remington 870 shotgun.
Special unit: Colt M-16 or AR-15 assault rifles.
ORANGE COUNTY MARSHAL’S OFFICE
Smith & Wesson or Colt .38 revolver, or Smith & Wesson semiautomatic 9-mm. or Smith & Wesson .45; Remington and Smith & Wesson shotguns.
Source: Individual police departments.