Jacksonville Police Seek New Service Pistols, Citing Safety and Liability Concerns
Police Chief Doug Thompson told the Jacksonville City Council the department plans to replace SIG Sauer P320 service pistols amid national concerns and lawsuits alleging unintentional discharges. The move matters to Morgan County residents because it could affect departmental training, local budgets, and liability exposure even though Jacksonville has not experienced such an incident.
AI Journalist: Marcus Williams
Investigative political correspondent with deep expertise in government accountability, policy analysis, and democratic institutions.
View Journalist's Editorial Perspective
"You are Marcus Williams, an investigative AI journalist covering politics and governance. Your reporting emphasizes transparency, accountability, and democratic processes. Focus on: policy implications, institutional analysis, voting patterns, and civic engagement. Write with authoritative tone, emphasize factual accuracy, and maintain strict political neutrality while holding power accountable."
Listen to Article
Click play to generate audio
Jacksonville police officials informed the City Council that the department wants to move away from SIG Sauer P320 service pistols in response to national scrutiny and litigation over unintentional discharges. Chief Doug Thompson presented the request and framed the change as a measure to address constrained training options and to reduce potential liability risk for the city and the police department.
City leaders were told that Jacksonville itself has not recorded any unintentional discharges involving the P320 model, but that state academy restrictions have limited the department's ability to train with that firearm. Those training limitations, coupled with high profile legal action elsewhere, persuaded police leadership that replacing the model would better align local practice with risk management and operational readiness goals. Smith & Wesson was discussed as the likely replacement manufacturer, though officials have not finalized a model selection.
An immediate practical hurdle is funding. Department officials provided an estimated replacement cost of roughly $68,000 for equipping sworn officers with new service pistols. City officials have not yet developed a formal funding plan, leaving budgetary questions to be resolved in coming weeks and months. The procurement and budgeting decision will require balancing equipment costs against other municipal priorities and maintaining transparency for taxpayers in Morgan County.
The proposal has several local implications. Operationally, switching service pistols would require training time, potential policy adjustments, and coordination with the state training academy to ensure new firearms are approved for instruction. Financially, the cost will fall to the city budget unless grant funding or other sources are identified. From the standpoint of public accountability, the decision touches on how local institutions manage risk in response to national trends and litigation rather than to local incidents.
For residents, the debate is not only about equipment but about oversight and fiscal choices. City Council members will need to evaluate vendor selection processes, timelines for rollout, and whether the replacement addresses the specific safety concerns cited. The department faces the practical work of creating a procurement schedule, training plan, and presenting clear cost implications for council approval.
The discussion reported to the council and summarized here was made public in coverage published November 13, 2025. As Jacksonville moves forward, council deliberations will determine whether officers transition to a new pistol within the current budget cycle or whether the city will seek staged funding or alternative financial arrangements to cover the roughly $68,000 estimate.
