Two sniper rifles were donated to the Bartlesville Police Department's three-man sniper team on Wednesday.

At the shooting range at Hudson Lake, the donor – Nick Brown – got to take the first shots with the guns.

Bartlesville Police Chief Tracy Roles was thankful for the donation and the newly established Bartlesville Police Foundation. He said they made this possible.

Chief Roles said having a strong sniper team is something any police department hopes they never have to use; they hope a day never comes where there is a situation that calls for the deployment of the sniper team. He said in today's society, it has become more prevalent, and it is good to have the equipment to much with the extensive training of the sniper team in order for them to be prepared for the worst case scenario.

A need arose for several pieces of equipment, and the newly established Bartlesville Police Foundation (which operates through the Bartlesville Community Foundation), had those items presented to them from the administrative staff at the BPD. Included in the list of items was the two sniper rifles that were donated on Wednesday.

Chief Roles said it is better to have the rifles and not use them than to not have them and be in need. He said they were glad the door was open to them to get the equipment through the Foundation and Mr. Brown.

Tammie Strobel, the Secretary of the Bartlesville Police Foundation (also the Deputy Superintendent and Chief Quality Officer at Tri County Tech), spoke highly of Brown for his donation of the rifles. She said thanks to Brown's donation, the sniper rifles were the first real action the BPF was able to take for the police department.

Strobel said they are proud of that fact. Foundation Chairwoman Linda Branstetter shared Strobel's praise.

Branstetter is a Lawyer and Public Defender for Washington County. She said their mission at the BPF was to secure funding and that Mr. Brown was very generous with his donation.

There's no doubt that Brown supports the Bartlesville Police Department. Branstetter said the rifles the Bartlesville Police Department were using were outdated and would prove to be a danger to officers down the road. She said the donated rifles are FBI packaged and top-of-the-line. 

Pictured above is Brown with the BPD Sniper Team. Below is the side-by-side comparison of the old rifle and the newer rifle. Also pictured below is Brown next to Deputy Chief of Police Rocky Bevard, Brown shooting the inaugural shot, and the BPD Sniper Team explaining the use of the new weapons. Some photos were taken by Tammie Strobel of TCT.