Franklin police recycle shell casings

Franklin police have found a unique way to be green while also bringing in money for the city.

Police officers collected the casings from the past four years of target practice at the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office shooting range.

Once the officers collected enough to fill a large recycling container, the shell casings were sold as scrap metal, Franklin Police Chief Tim O’Sullivan said.

The 316 pounds of spent brass shell casings brought in $474. The money went to the city’s general fund, which pays for costs such as employee salaries, O’Sullivan said.

This is the second donation made to the city by the police department’s recycling program. The first was in 2011, O’Sullivan’s first year as chief.