Police Chief: Sandy Springs in Good Shape With Ammunition

The Sandy Springs Police Department has enough ammunition to last a year, according to Chief Terry Sult.

On Wednesday, news outlets reported that the department is experiencing a shortage of ammunition in stock and for training.  

Sult said there is a shortage of ammunition to purchase in the sense that it can’t be ordered for delivery next week. That’s why the department orders ahead, he said.

“We got a shipment in today that we ordered six months ago,” Sult told Patch, “We’re in good shape and we have been since I got here.”

The Chief explained that the difficulty in obtaining ammunition can depend on the type you are looking for.  Each type has a different turnaround time. There has been a run on the .223 rounds for police patrol rifles, he said. A longer turnaround on that ammunition is expected. 

Ammunition is stored at three locations. It’s not usual for a large bulk to take three to six months to arrive, he said.

“That’s why we keep a year in advance and we rotate it out,” Sult said. “The reality is we don’t have to curb operations or training. If we got down to a level of six months, we would start getting very concerned and would have to modify our training schedule. We are in good shape in Sandy Springs.”

Sult said police departments are accustomed to runs on ammunition because military needs create periodic increases in demand at manufacturing companies. That happened during the Iraq War, he recalled. 

“…There was a big shortage. It was tough to get. That’s when most agencies realized they had to keep more in stock.”

These days it’s difficult to know where the national debate and restrictions are going on guns, he acknowledged. “We have been diligent to make sure that we are beefing up a little bit on ammunition [in the event] the shortage continues,” he said.

Were you concerned about a shortage of ammunition at the SSPD?