The El Paso Police Department on Wednesday unveiled its new M-4 rifles intended to provide every officer with greater firepower.
The department bought 1,145 after approval by the City Council's 8-0 vote in January.
El Paso PD Issued M4 Patrol Rifles
Training with the M-4 is under way at the Police Academy, and the new weaponry will eventually be issued to every member of the El Paso PD, from patrol officers up to the chief.
June 17, 2010
The El Paso PD will begin using an M4 rifle similar to this M4/M4A1 Carbine SOPMOD in an escalating war with Mexican cartels. Photo via Flickr.com (brian.ch).
Training with the M-4 is under way at the Police Academy, and the new weaponry will eventually be issued to every member of the department, from patrol officers up to the chief.
"It's a safety issue," said Sgt. Lawrence Lujan, an instructor at the academy. "The El Paso Police Department is catching up with the rest of the nation."