SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) — The safety of police officers will be addressed at the upcoming Sioux City city council meeting. KCAU reports Monday’s council meeting will have members of the Sioux City Police Department asking the city for its approval of a $40,375 purchase of 85 suppressors. Suppressors are attachments to firearms that significantly diminish the noise emitted when shooting off ammunition. Sergeant Todd Sassman said the department is getting serious about the hearing health of its officers.

“There’s been a lot of studies about hearing damage with officers and gunfire,” Sassman said, “repetitive shootings on the ranges or if there are shooting incidents out on the street that officers can severely damage their hearing.”

Right now, Sioux City police have about 10 suppressors attached to their rifles. But Sergeant Sassman said members of the department are showing signs of hearing loss. “Thankfully, we’ve never had an officer yet that has been in a shooting situation in a confined space where a firearm was discharged and they actually have a traumatic injury,” he said. “We’ve noticed over the years – I’m just shy of my 30th year, and we tend to, once we get up in that 20-30 year range, myself included, your hearing is definitely not as good as it was.”

Once the purchase is approved by the city, the Sioux City Police Department would have around 90 officers with suppressors attached to their rifles.