UCPD may add submachine guns to its armory
By Daily Bruin Staff
Aug. 10, 1997 9:00 p.m.
Monday, 8/11/97 UCPD may add submachine guns to its armory
POLICE: Department considers placing MP5 in its arsenal of
firearms
By Angela Paymard Daily Bruin Contributor What do the FBI, the
LAPD SWAT team, the German Border Patrol and the Cal State
University, Los Angeles (CSULA) police department have in common?
They all own MP5 submachine guns – a weapon capable of shooting 30
rounds without reloading. The UCLA police department (UCPD) may
soon join their ranks; they hope to purchase the gun for their
armory in the near future. If the purchase goes through, university
police will not be using the MP5 as a backup weapon, as is the case
with CSULA. Rather, the gun will be kept locked up in the
department’s armory, alongside the rifles, pistols and shotguns
they already have. In less than three months, the CSULA police
department will be receiving six Heckler and Koch MP5 submachine
guns as their secondary firearms. A secondary firearm is a
long-range weapon that officers use to defend fellow officers from
afar, according to Sgt. John Adams, range master for university
police. In most departments, as in the UCPD, the secondary firearm
is a shotgun. However, the CSULA police department decided to
purchase the submachine guns instead, sparking criticism from local
papers, students and members of the university community,
especially since CSULA is one of the safest CSU campuses, according
to CSULA Police Chief Gerald Lipson. However, they were also the
only campus police department not to have any secondary firearms,
he said. "We are the only state school that does not have any
secondary firearms," Lipson said. "After careful research and
consultation with others in the department, we decided the MP5
would be the best choice for this campus." Lipson also stressed
that the MP5 was a secondary firearm, to be used only as a "last
resort," and under "catastrophic conditions." Five of the six guns
will be carried under the seats in patrol cars, with the sixth kept
in the department’s armory. Critics have charged that the weapons
are expensive and too powerful a weapon for a university police
department. The MP5 costs about $1000 per gun, compared to about
$350 for a shotgun. The money used to pay for the new firepower was
drawn from the police budget and approved by CSULA President James
M. Rosser., Lipson said. The police chief believes it was money
well spent. Others feel differently. "The money could have been
used for something else," said Julio Diaz, a student at CSULA. The
L.A. Weekly also ridiculed the chief’s decision in a recent
article. "Keep (the MP5 capabilities) in mind if you’re planning on
ripping off campus vending machines or stealing someone’s
homework," they wrote. But the police chief noted that the guns
were largely for use when the campus police is called upon to help
the LAPD, and not for patrolling the campus. When asked why he did
not opt to purchase shotguns instead of MP5s, Lipson replied that
shotguns are actually more dangerous than the MP5. "The shotgun is
known to ricochet and cause a lot of property damage," he said. "It
is also more prone to cause personal injury. I feel the MP5s are a
better choice for our campus which has a lot of glass-faced
structures and a lot of people." Alex Reyes, an expert in the
firearms field, felt similarly. "Agencies have been acquiring MP5s
for the past 10 to 15 years. This is not a new trend. The shotgun
is an intimidating weapon. It kicks and is harder for new officers
or less physically developed officers to use effectively," Reyes
said. "The MP5 is something officers can be more comfortable
training with and using. It is easier to teach a person to be
accurate with an MP5 than a shotgun," he added. Reyes went on to
explain that, for shotguns, most agencies only require officers to
qualify twice a year by firing six rounds. But, for MP5
qualifications, officers must fire 50 rounds, six times a year.
PATRICK LAM/Daily Bruin A student walks past the police department
building. The police may purchase semiautomatic guns. Related
Links: UCPD Home Page
