Ted Brown has been reunited with his service weapon.
He’s the Plymouth Police officer who retired after more than 20 years on the force to become Director of School Safety with the Plymouth School Corporation. As part of his retirement, Police Chief Dave Bacon recommended to the Plymouth Board of Works that Brown’s service weapon be deemed surplus property and gifted to him.
The legality of the proposal, however, was questioned by a member of the public. Brown says the City’s effort to make the situation work was commendable.
“If it didn’t work out, I wasn’t going to be mad because the City has done so much for me,” says Brown. “This was just icing on the cake to go out of their way to show their appreciation for what I had tried to do for them for 20 years.”
The City of Plymouth worked for weeks to amend the ordinance dealing with such matters to allow retiring police officers a chance to take their weapons home with them upon retirement.
Last week, the Board of Works approved the changes on second and third reading. City Attorney Sean Surrisi has indicated the language was revised so that instead of gifting the service weapons, officers can now purchase their weapons from the City.
Brown says he still intends a use for his service weapon.
“It’s the weapon that I carried for the end of my career so it’s going to be something that I use for personal protection,” says Brown. “It’s got a lot of sentimental value to me really because I’m the only one that has shot that weapon.”
He says he took the weapon home with him several days after the ordinance amendment was approved.
The changes will now impact future retiring officers and help the City of Plymouth avoid legal issues surrounding the process.
