The Cleveland Police Department is looking to make crime pay, by turning weapons into a windfall for the department.
"Our City Council voted in clearing those items and those firearms there's about 300 for surplus. Now what happens is they put out a notice in the public to let the public know what's going on, what we had available and we file a normal bidding what is a city bidding process," says Officer Evie West.
The process is a strict one, with only certified and licensed buyers allowed to participate.
"We do have firearms that are in our property evidence that do not have serial numbers on them and those we cannot sell, but the ones that do have serial numbers and are cleared we can sell those. They have to have a license, they have to meet those qualifications and there's a list of qualifications that they have down and they have to meet each one of those or they will not be given the bid, they will not be approved," West adds.
The money will go for a variety of tools in the fight against crime.
"The funds that come in for us to help us get cameras on our tasers and cameras in our cars and our MDTs which are mobile data terminals," West says.
The department last held a firearms auction five years ago, but with more police joining the force, they need funds to go with it.
"We are hiring new officers every single year and with that we have to be able to purchase more equipment more weapons, more firearms so that these officers can outfit themselves to protecting themselves but also protecting the public and the community that we serve."
The police department says they expect to auction off those weapons sometime in November.
