Law enforcementThe number of guns stolen from police officers is growing
From time to time, the media report of a burglary in which a firearm was stolen. Some of those stolen weapons were later used in the commission of crime, oftentimes a robbery or shooting. In the past few years, however, a trend has been developed, but which has not been reported in the mass media. That occurrence is the theft of a police officer’s firearm, often accompanied by the pilfering of the officer’s uniform, vest, and badge.
From time to time, the media report of a burglary in which a firearm was stolen. Some of those stolen weapons were later used in the commission of crime, oftentimes a robbery or shooting.
In the past few years, however, a trend has been developed, but which has not been reported in the mass media. That occurrence is the theft of a police officer’s firearm, often accompanied by the pilfering of the officer’s uniform, vest, and badge.
The lack of publicity is understandable, in that such events would make the members of the public uneasy when approached by an officer. Such an occurrence would also cast doubts on the police’s ability to secure their own property, let alone that of civilians.
Recently a number of these thefts have been occurring in central Florida. In one of particular instance, the officer left his weapons in his car, parked outside his home.
The Orland Sentinel reportsthat officer John Combas violated procedure, leaving his weapons in his car, rather in his home as required. In this particular instance, thieves made off with a .223-caliber AR-15 rifle with a loaded, 30-round magazine and a .40-caliber Glock pistol with three loaded, 16-round magazines.
To be sure, police officers are not the only victims of such crimes.
According to Jerry Demings, the sheriff of Orange county, “Last year in Orange County there were 199 guns that were stolen from vehicles,” Demings went on to say “Even more disturbing is the fact that 83 percent of those guns were stolen from unlocked vehicles. That’s simply unacceptable.”
The event that Demings spoke of was preceded by three weeks in which a submachine gun and three other firearms were stolen from an Orange county deputy’s unmarked SUV parked outside his Casselberry home, records show. Two months ago, according to Daytona police, Orange county drug agents Eric Wheeler and Nicole Hansen were at Daytona Beach when they went swimming and left two pistols in a purse on the floor of their unmarked SUV.
Florida ranked third in the United States for stolen guns, with 12,571 reported in 2012, the last year with national data. That includes thefts from cars, houses, and businesses.
