September 15, 2016
NTPD cleaning up the streets
By Edna Sailor\
“This is the one that is scary,” James Johns said as he held up a pistol for the New Town City Council to see.
Johns and several of his officers presented a table full of weapons, illicit drugs and stacks of “ill gotten” cash at a recent city council meeting.
“The reason it is scary is that this one is a fake weapon. But you cannot tell the difference between the fake pistol and the real thing. This is what our department is finding right here in and around our community,” Johns said.
To make his point Johns held up a real 44 caliber pistol and the fake bulldog 44 handgun and asked councilmen if they could tell the difference. No one responded to the question.
“Imagine having to make that call on duty in a couple of seconds. This fake gun can still cost someone a life. A second scary thing is that this fake gun came out of the pocket of a teenager on one of our stops,” he said.
“A fake gun just like this cost an eighteen year old his life in Cleveland recently,” Officer Carter added.
Johns went on to point out that two assault type weapons on the table were also a real and fake one.
“The fake one is actually a squirt gun. The other is a 223 assault rifle. These can be game-enders, for them or for us especially since we only have seconds to make the call,” James said.
He asked the council and again if anyone could tell the difference. No one responded.
Johns and several of his officers were present at a recent council meeting to inform and educate them about recent activity that involves their department daily. Johns and his officers displayed weapons, stacks of cash and drugs packaged ready for street sale, a machete and a collection of knives.
While the table full of collected items from street was a daunting sight by itself, Johns informed the council it was “only a small accumulation of what we are seeing.”
Johns and several of his officers presented a table full of weapons, illicit drugs and stacks of “ill gotten” cash at a recent city council meeting.
“The reason it is scary is that this one is a fake weapon. But you cannot tell the difference between the fake pistol and the real thing. This is what our department is finding right here in and around our community,” Johns said.
To make his point Johns held up a real 44 caliber pistol and the fake bulldog 44 handgun and asked councilmen if they could tell the difference. No one responded to the question.
“Imagine having to make that call on duty in a couple of seconds. This fake gun can still cost someone a life. A second scary thing is that this fake gun came out of the pocket of a teenager on one of our stops,” he said.
“A fake gun just like this cost an eighteen year old his life in Cleveland recently,” Officer Carter added.
Johns went on to point out that two assault type weapons on the table were also a real and fake one.
“The fake one is actually a squirt gun. The other is a 223 assault rifle. These can be game-enders, for them or for us especially since we only have seconds to make the call,” James said.
He asked the council and again if anyone could tell the difference. No one responded.
Johns and several of his officers were present at a recent council meeting to inform and educate them about recent activity that involves their department daily. Johns and his officers displayed weapons, stacks of cash and drugs packaged ready for street sale, a machete and a collection of knives.
While the table full of collected items from street was a daunting sight by itself, Johns informed the council it was “only a small accumulation of what we are seeing.”
