Police Rifle Stolen from Orlando Cruiser

[larrymeyer]

BAN POLICE CARRYING GUNS

I wonder where this assault rifle an AR-15 will show up maybe in Phila.

http://www.officer.com/online/articl...ion=1&id=41624

Police Rifle Stolen from Orlando Cruiser


Posted: Friday, May 30, 2008
Updated: May 30th, 2008 09:48 AM EDT

ORLANDO, Fla. --

A thief stole an assault rifle from a marked Orlando police cruiser in a parking lot.

Investigators said the thief broke into the OPD vehicle at an apartment complex and forced open a secured compartment to get to the weapon.

The assault rifle is an AR-15, Local 6 reported.

Anyone with information about the crime is urged to call Crimeline at 800-423-TIPS.

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Second story


http://www.officer.com/online/articl...ion=1&id=41622


Thieves Target Florida Police Cars


Posted: Friday, May 30, 2008
Updated: May 30th, 2008 09:46 AM EDT

DELAND, Fla. --

In the last five days, four police cars belonging to different agencies have been broken into in Volusia County.

In one of the break-ins, the thieves made off with a rifle and ammunition.

Investigators said it's certainly possible the crimes are connected. They said it could be one or more individuals targeting marked vehicles parked at law officers' homes.

So far, one Volusia County sheriff's car, one from New Smyrna Beach Police Department, one belonging to an Orange City officer and one Seminole County deputy's car have been targeted.

In each case, the front passenger window was smashed for access.

The most recent break-ins occurred Thursday morning.

A patrol car from Seminole County and one from New Smryna Beach were both parked at the officers' Deltona homes. The Seminole County deputy lost a gas mask.

Early Sunday morning, a unit from the Orange City Police Department was hit but nothing taken and last Saturday morning, a Volusia County deputy’s patrol car parked in Deltona was broken into -- that's when a thief stole a shotgun.

"In this case, the deputy did leave the keys in the ignition and that enabled the thief to access the shotgun and also the trunk where the ammunition was being kept," Gary Davidson of the Volusia County Sheriff's Department said.

Investigators said in every case weapons were properly secured if they were in the vehicles, and three out of four break-ins yielded little or nothing, but in the Volusia County deputy’s case, because of a mistake, a shotgun is on the streets.

"This was not a failure of policy. We want the weapons to be there, close to the deputies when they need them. In this case, the deputy simply left the keys in the ignition," Davidson said

[billamj]

Since it was department issue, I wonder if it was fully auto. Looks like the cops in that part of Fla. have a hard time with weapons retention and vehicle security.

[reels18]

How easy can they make it for the criminals? He left the keys in the patrol car?

[reels18]

This is a very common problem in Florida, police are being followed and even stalked to steal their firearms from their homes or cars.
Made a post a couple months ago about it.
Nice find larrymeyer

Someone need to write a law to close that stolen firearm from police car loop hole.

I missed that post. I had no idea Florida has such a wildlife problem. Is anyone thinking of having an open season?