The New York Metropolis Division of Correction is shelling out practically $100,000 to purchase 10 sniper rifles for Rikers Island because it grapples with criticism over safety points on the troubled jail, The Publish has discovered.
The DOC bought the “long-range M-10 rifles and magazines” from Amchar Wholesale Inc, a firearms provide firm based mostly in Rochester, for $93,845, in accordance with a contract signed by town company in September.
A DOC spokesman stated the weapons — which value practically $10,000 a pop — might be employed by a specifically skilled group “in extraordinary, high-risk conditions,” and never for on a regular basis use.
However the buy has raised eyebrows amongst some policing sources and specialists, who puzzled why the long-range sniper rifles are wanted for an company that’s largely custodial.
“It’s a waste of taxpayer dollars, as traditional,” one energetic law-enforcement supply stated.
The gun purchase comes because the DOC — which had a funds of greater than $1 billion in fiscal yr 2022 — is beneath fireplace over harmful and chaotic circumstances at Rikers, which housed some 5,940 prisoners as of Nov. 1.
The issue-plagued lockup has seen a spike in inmate deaths, with a current vital report from the state Board of Correction detailing workers failures in among the incidents. There have been 18 deaths in-custody up to now this yr, the best annual fatality determine since 2013.
Violence by the hands of metropolis corrections officers has additionally spiked to the best ranges since 2016, in accordance with a current monitor report.
These and different points on the sprawling jail advanced additionally prompted inmate advocates to hunt federal oversight, however that effort was shot down by a decide in Manhattan final week.
A supply who spent 25 years working at Rikers Island and lately retired stated the power has an Emergency Companies Unit that’s geared up to answer numerous incidents, together with riot management, inmate escapes and perimeter safety. However he stated officers within the specialised unit probably wouldn’t be those utilizing the sniper rifles.
“It’s not like anyone might be storming Rikers Island and in the event that they did I’m fairly certain they've sufficient ammunition to fight that,” the supply stated. “I'd say save weapons like that for the NYPD, the ATF, drug enforcement.”
The final time a riot broke out at Rikers seems to have been in 2014, although a gaggle of newly-arrived inmates briefly took management of the consumption unit earlier this month and there have been different current reported situations of mayhem and assaults on jail guards.
Ex-NYPD cop Eugene O’Donnell, a professor at John Jay School of Prison Justice, additionally stated the acquisition was unusual, quipping, “What is that this Alcatraz?”
“It’s not like individuals are being damaged out of Rikers,” O’Donnell stated. “[The DOC’s] job is custodial. Their job is to safe individuals. It will be a heavy burden on them to articulate a rationale for that type of buy.”
He added: “I suppose they could be war-gaming an unique risk the place somebody might present up in a small boat and spirit some prisoner away.”
The energetic law-enforcement supply additionally questioned, “What the hell do they want sniper rifles for?”
“What are they, the navy? As an alternative of specializing in that, they need to strive to determine cease all these prisoners from dying.”
The DOC spokesman famous the acquisition would serve to improve an arsenal of eight rifles that had been bought greater than a decade in the past. He didn't present particulars on the price of the previous weapons, or what kind they had been.
“The Division of Correction is a regulation enforcement company; our members of service are additionally first responders whom deploy when wanted to vital incidents as wanted to Division services each on and off Rikers Island,” the rep stated in a press release.
Benny Boscio, president of the Correction Officers’ Benevolent Affiliation, defended the acquisition, saying it might assist save lives within the occasion of a riot.
“The very fact is that there have been no vital upgrades in a few years within the tools utilized by our elite ESU groups within the occasion of a hostage or riot state of affairs the place they may help save the lives of workers and inmates,” Boscio stated in a press release. “We hope this funding is certainly one of many vital upgrades that can assist our officers preserve security and safety in our jails.”
A consultant from Amchar Wholesale Inc. declined to offer particulars about what number of jails purchase sniper rifles.
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