The Tamaqua Police Department held its annual qualification at the Fraternal Order of Police firing range in Owl Creek last week.

But this year, there was some new equipment available thanks to some local help.

Bowe & Odorizzi Law, District Attorney Michael O’Pake and the Tamaqua Borough Council teamed up to help donate four new rifles to the Tamaqua police department.

“The borough council wants to make sure our police officers have the necessary equipment that they have - heaven forbid that they ever have to use these things,” said Brian Connely, council vice president. “We want them to have the state-of-the-art equipment, so they can protect the citizens.”

Tamaqua Cpl. Thomas Rodgers led the weeklong initiative.

“Every year, we come out here and everyone qualifies,” Rodgers said. “Full-time officers carry .40-cal. Glock 23s. Obviously, the department’s new Lancer patrol rifles; they’re mounted in each car. And the department’s shotguns, which are Remington 870 tacticals.”

Rodgers said the department’s prior rifles had 11-and-a-half-inch barrels and the new ones have 16-inch barrels. But that’s not the biggest upgrade in comparison.

“The addition of the red-dot sights are a big thing - and the flashlights,” said Rodgers. “That’s something we never had, we never had red dots, never had flashlights on the rifles. You have to figure in law enforcement 50% of your shift could be at night. It’s a game-changer for us in the day-to-day operation.”

Total cost of the four new department rifles was nearly $6,500. Bowe & Odorizzi donated $1,000, while Schuylkill County DA Michael O’Pake and his office contributed $1,500 and the borough council covered the rest.

“Quite honestly, with the prices these days, we’re happy that Bowe & Odorizzi stepped up to the plate to help us accomplish for that police department, as well as the DA’s office,” Connely said. “It was a good venture between all parties to get the equipment that I definitely needed.”

O’Pake explained his office used forfeiture funds to make its part of the donation possible.

“The forfeiture funds are funds that we confiscate if they’re (a defendant) caught with money on them and they’re selling drugs. We can file a petition with the court to have the cash forfeited to us - to the commonwealth,” O’Pake said.

“In essence, what we’re doing is using drug money from drug dealing and drug users to help us prosecute them. We can use the funds for a variety of things, and one of the things we are, in this case, is to update the Tamaqua Police department with their rifles. We want to give them the best equipment we can to fight crime, particularly drugs.”