Butler County Sheriff's Office dealing with ammunition shortage

HAMILTON, Ohio - A nationwide shortage of ammunition is affecting some local law enforcement agencies.

Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones said Wednesday that the price his department pays for ammunition has doubled.

"A .223 round costs a dollar a piece so it's very, very expensive if you can even find it," Sheriff Jones said.

Jones said many gun owners are stocking up on ammunition because of fears the government will increase taxes on it or make ammunition more difficult to acquire, as tragedies such as the Sandy Hook massacre increase pressure for gun control.

Sheriff Jones said his department gets its ammunition from the same manufacturers as the public.

"The stores can't get it fast enough,” Sheriff Jones said. People are coming in, buying it a case at a time."

Some law enforcement agencies in Georgia said they have had to postpone training exercises because they can't get enough bullets.

Fears over such a happening take place in Butler County has led concerned citizens to flood the Butler County Sheriff’s Office with calls, asking questions about the shortage of ammunition and worrying about how it could impact their safety.

"I've never seen it like this," he said regarding the upswing in phone calls.

Sheriff Jones said the citizens in his county don’t need to worry, however. Sheriff Jones said his department buys ammunition a year at a time so it has what it needs for training and enforcement purposes while the department waits for new supplies.