In January of this year, the council tabled a request from the Cloquet police department to purchase 26 Heckler & Koch VP9 (9mm) handguns at a cost of $17,277 after requesting additional information.

On Tuesday night, they passed the same request - 26 H&K VP9 handguns - but this time the cost of the guns was significantly lower, at $12,974, a reduction from $688 per gun to $499. It was, however, still a more expensive bid than the second gun considered by the department, the Glock 19 (9mm) handgun.

Interim police chief Derek Randall explained that interim commander Adam Reed has been re...