Public Affairs
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Bloomington Police Department
By: Diane Benjamin
I’m sure you’ve heard stories about government paying $1000 for a screw? It’s not like they are spending their own money, so why bother to compare prices?
It’s usually hard to compare prices on what the City buys. Only large purchases need to be approved by the Council, it’s impossible to know about the smaller items.
This is on the consent agenda for Monday night – that means, vote to approve, NO discussion needed.
Motion: That the purchase eight two (82) cases of .40 caliber pistol (Winchester #Q4238) and sixty-eight (68) cases of .223 rifle ammunition (Winchester #Q3131) training ammunition using
Illinois Department of Central Management Services Contract # 4017592 be approved, in the amount of $43,6989 from Ray O’Herron Company Inc., and the Procurement Manager be
authorized to issue a Purchase Order.
Since the Winchester numbers were included, it’s easy to check prices. I’m assuming the City purchasing a case is the same as a website selling a case – that’s the only possible glitch in my thinking.
First for the Q4238:
http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/product/2-WNQ4238BX
The cheapest price is $19.06 a box – it says order 10 boxes for a case – okay 190.60 for a case. The city wants to buy 82 cases. 190.60 x 82 = $15,629.20
Now the Q3131:
http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/product/67962
The cheapest price is $11.06 a box – also order 10 boxes for a case – 110.60. Buying 68 cases = $7520.80
Total purchase price – $23,150.00 Compared to $43,??? something – the consent agenda contains a typo. It needs to be fixed BEFORE the vote! Obviously it’s a lot more than the website.
Usually buying in volume means the price is less. Maybe the website can’t supply that much, I don’t know. Even if they can’t, is there a reason the City needs this much all at once?
I did ask the Bloomington Police Department for a comment or explanation, they haven’t answered. If they do, I will update this post.
Certainly be interested to hear the details. From personal experience, I can pretty much guarantee you that these places can’t provide that kind of quantity at that price. They get deals and offer them as teasers to keep people coming back. Usually when I jump on one of these, I’m lucky if I can get more than 1000 rds.
Now I’m not saying that they CAN’T do better than the IL procurement office (who know how those bids are doled out), but there are also the entanglements of businesses being reluctant to do business with the government due to additional paperwork, regulations, not knowing how long it will take to get paid, etc..
The police department budget is stretched thin as it is. I doubt that they would knowingly waste money.
I checked. They can provide the entire order of one type and most of the other all from the same warehouse. They have multiple warehouse, so probably the rest is available at a different one.
These are teaser prices, they are the standard price. I even found one of them cheaper on another site.
You can go to Dicks or Smileys in Bloom and get it cheaper and buy local
My question is what are they doing with all this ammo? I dont recall the BPD shooting anyone . Or is it just for a rainy day like all the ammo DHS is buying and destroying?
I believe they want to start requiring practice! Evidently they are only tested once a year.
interesting stuff, thanks Diane!
I spoke during public comment tonight. Video tomorrow!
“You don’t actually think they spend $20,000 on a hammer, $30,000 on a toilet seat, do you?”
The City might, but they would call them different names that can’t be verified.