The City of Warren Police Department needed new equipment — important equipment.

“Our weapons were outdated,” Capt. Joe Sproveri said. “We needed to replace our handguns and rifles.”

The department could have gone to city council and asked for a budget increase. That might have resulted in the need for new taxes or cuts somewhere else.

“There wasn’t money in the budget,” Sproveri said. “We didn’t want to place a burden on the taxpayers. We reached out to local businesses.”

The community came through.

“We were able to make several purchases,” he said.

In addition to Glock handguns with holsters and Colt carbines, the generosity of the community allowed the department to purchase ammunition, ‘go bags’ including ‘Stop the Bleed’ kits for each officer, Force-on-Force bolts for the weapons, and Simunition rounds.

The latter two items are for use in training. Simunitions are non-lethal, paint-loaded ammunition. The bolts allow the weapons to fire Simunitions and prevent them from firing standard ammunition.

The Stop the Bleed kits include items to immediately address traumatic bleeding. Some of the included items are gauze, a bandage, shears, and a tourniquet.

They also come with an added benefit.

“For each one we put in service, one was given to the (Warren County) School District,” Sproveri said.

He expressed his thanks to the local entities that allowed the department to make the purchases outside of the city coffers: the Betts Foundation; United Refining; Jones Chevrolet; Superior Tire and Rubber; Allegheny Coupling; Whirley Drinkworks; Warren Elks Lodge; Kinnear Law Office; Swanson, Bevevino and Gilford; Bevevino Professional Realty; Calvert Pearson Insurance Group; Petersen Farms; Crossett, Inc.; and Erie County Enforcers Motorcycle Club.