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Police departments facing ammo shortage nationwide

The spike in civilians buying guns and ammo has departments scrambling for a solution to the shortage

By Police1 Staff

GREER, S.C. — Police departments nationwide are facing ammunition shortages and backorders with unknown delivery dates.

“It’s never easy to get ammo, but since the tragedy in Connecticut, it’s become even more difficult,” Sgt. Chris Forrester of the Greer Police Department in South Carolina told WSPA -7.

The shortage is making Forrester rethink their qualifications and training for dozens of officers within the department.

“We’re having to be more conservative,” he said.

Tens of thousands of rounds have been backordered for departments in Georgia as well, according to WSB-TV.

“It affects our ability to be prepared,” said Police Chief Terry Sult of the Sandy Springs Police Department.

“It affects the potential safety of the officers, because they’re not as proficient as they should be.”

WSB-TV reports that the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office of Georgia was forced to reschedule training exercises as they scramble to restock ammunition.

An ammo supplier for Georgia police departments, Jay Wallace, said the shortage is a result of the huge spike in ammo and gun sales to civilians in recent weeks.

“There’s been more demand for ammunition than there’s ever been,” Wallace said.

Sult stated that they are prepared to handle short-term shortages, but not long-term.

“We’re going be starting to get very concerned at the six-month level if that’s all we have in stock, because then we have to start planning and rationing,” he said.

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