CALIFORNIA IN BRIEF : SAN FRANCISCO : Police Line Up for Semiautomatic Guns

Only one month after the police commission approved the optional use of semiautomatic weapons, more than 200 San Francisco police officers have applied to carry the weapons on the job. The requests reflect a growing desire among law enforcement officers to match the firepower they meet in the streets--despite the $468 price tag the officers must pay for the weapons. “It’s expensive, but I look at it as long-term insurance policy for me,” said Officer Dave Herman, who served on the committee that recommended the weapons. “If I have to fire in a situation where I’m outmanned and outgunned, I hope to survive.”