On December 12th, DOC Leadership met with management for the Statewide Union Management Communication Committee (SUMCC).
This was the first meeting since firearms had been returned to Zev. This has been one of the largest concerns identified by our members, and the lack of communication from the agency has increased this stress.
Before the meeting, the labor table sent over several questions to get answers from management to share with our membership. The purpose of this communication is to provide information and let you know what we found out.
We asked if Zev had identified the issue with the firearms. There have been two issues identified with the firearm:
- A recoil spring issue. This was due to the new red dot sight. When the agency identified the issue Zev immediately made the necessary corrections and the firearms were working properly.
- The operation of the slides on some of the firearms that were delivered. After a careful inspection by Zev, it was identified as a CNC issue. They have made this a focus for the company and have made the necessary corrections.
Zev is working with the agency to make sure the firearms are operating properly and have been through a thorough quality inspection and function tests.
Zev has guaranteed that before the new firearms are provided to the agency, they will be put through an aggressive 15,000 test to make sure these firearms work and the issues have been resolved.
Management reports that Zev has been a great partner to work with to resolve these issues. They currently are having weekly meetings keeping the agency updated as to their progress.
Further, management has agreed that before these firearms are rolled out they will provide them to an identified group of our members, from all across the agency for testing.
Another question we submitted was where our firearms were being produced. Management reports that these firearms are still being manufactured in Centralia, Washington.
We asked how the Zev was selected. Management reported there was an open testing process, and due to several factors, the Zev was selected.
We then asked about the holster selections, and management reported that the selection of the Zev and the Holosun red dot limited our holster options. Mission First Tactical (MFT) was selected, and they have also worked closely with the agency.
When they first provided the holster to the agency, the use of force team was able to identify several issues with the holster. When these were pointed out to MFT they promptly made the fixes and improvements. This included an identified re-holstering issue.
Initially, to re-holster, the firearm needed to be straight up and down; MFT took the agency feedback and modified the holster to improve the re-holster process and eliminate that issue.
Much like Zev, MFT has been a great partner, open to feedback, and has improved the product. When the agency reached out, they were able to speak directly with the designer and got those adjustments made quickly.
The agency’s focus is providing the best tools they can for our members, and if these tools are not safe, the agency will move to address those issues.
When the Zev firearms come back to the agency, there will be a select group of WFSE members who will be evaluating the performance, function, and reliability of the firearms and holsters to ensure that this equipment is sufficient to ensure the safety of our members. If there are any further issues they will be addressed before the statewide rollout of this equipment.
Several other issues were addressed on the agenda, these included GRE workload issues, 5-day warrant checks, legislative updates, transport issues, jail updates, and the API rollout.
As the agency is moving forward with a new Secretary starting in January, there will be changes in the future. Our Union is committed to working collaboratively with CCD leadership to address concerns as they arise. If there are any questions, contact us.
In Solidarity,
WFSE DOC
