Probe under way of discount firearms sales

Montgomery County officials have promised a full probe Tuesday of a continuing-education program for law enforcement officers that permitted them to buy guns at deep discounts that might have been subsidized with taxpayer funds.

Over the past three fiscal years, more than 300 county public safety officers were enrolled in the classes, which were conducted by Applied Sciences for Public Safety. They did so as part of a county program that pays for continuing-education expenses, according to Patrick Lacefield, spokesman for County Executive Isiah Leggett.

“We’re going to take this investigation wherever it leads us,” he said.

There are rules against using county funds for expenses beyond tuition.

Lacefield said the investigation will be conducted by County Attorney Leon Rodriguez. The probe will examine whether the company used the money to subsidize guns offered for sale and whether officers attended the classes for legitimate educational reasons or just to buy guns.

“There are a number of questions here,” Lacefield said.

Meanwhile, Montgomery County Council President Phil Andrews said the council will consider establishing stricter oversight measures for the tuition assistance program.

Applied Sciences did not return telephone and e-mails messages or The (Washington) Examiner from The Washington Post.

About 275 of the 330 who signed up for the program were Montgomery police officers, Lacefield said.

Lucille Baur, a spokeswoman for the Montgomery police department, referred questions to Lacefield because the probe includes other agencies. Sheriff’s deputies, corrections officers and others also attended the classes.

Questions about the classes surfaced last week when about 14 deputies with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office were getting ready to take a class related to deadly force, according to Montgomery Sheriff Raymond Kight. At the course, they would have been given the chance to buy a rifle worth from $1,000 to $1,200 for $400.

“We found out that these guys who were going were going to buy guns,” Kight said. “We stopped it.”

Kight said he met last week with representatives from Montgomery’s police, fire, corrections and human resources departments.

Lacefield said 109 employees had signed up for the program since July 31. The county has stopped work with the company.