CORPUS CHRISTI (Kiii News) -
The City Crime Control Board gave 25 AR-15 rifles to Corpus Christi Police Department officers.
These weapons will be in the hands of patrol officers, those men and women who are the first ones to arrive at active shooting scenes.
Some of these officers were out at the department's shooting range off I-37 Tuesday. They were getting some more training so they will be ready to use their weapon when needed.
"Ever since the North Hollywood shootout, we've been aiming for more firepower to better equip our officers to handle situations," CCPD Officer Steven Ruebelmann said. "So patrol officers are usually the first ones on the scene. Before, just SWAT had the capabilities of rifles, high-powered rifles capable of piercing body armor; but now, the fact is, the bad guys are getting better equipped."
In the near future, the department hopes to add more AR-15 rifles.
