WAITE PARK - The Waite Park City Council voted 4-1 on Monday night to sell some guns confiscated by police.

They voted to sell any otherwise legal shotguns and rifles.  But they can only be sold to the Federally licensed firearms dealers that they already work with.  Money from the sale of the guns will be used to buy new weapons or protection equipment for police officers.

Weapons that will not be sold include: handguns, and illegal guns like sawed-off shotguns and ones that have had their serial number removed.

The lone council member to vote against the measure was Frank Theisen.  He wanted all guns confiscated by police to be destroyed.  He said, "I would feel terrible" if a gun that was once off the streets was used in a crime.

Waite Park Police Chief Dave Bentrud says the city had no previous policy on the books.   He asked for direction from the council because they’ve collected about nine guns since he took over as the  Chief of Police three years ago

There’s no uniform state law on the issue, and it’s up to individual cities to decide what to do with the weapons.

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