Police departments admit losing military weapons

Atlanta Journal-Constitution ^

[christx30]

The Pentagon has banned 145 law enforcement agencies from receiving surplus military weapons and supplies, part of a program under scrutiny after police in combat gear responded to protests in Ferguson, MO.

In each case examined by the Cox Washington bureau, the departments were suspended after losing high-powered weapons.

The Daytona Beach Police Department was blacklisted after reporting a lost Colt M16 rifle in January.

"We still have not been able to find it," Daytona Beach Police spokesman Jimmie Flynt said.

[JRandomFreeper]

I'm also pushing for drug testing for the local constabulary, including steroids.

I did have to go to an out-of-town lawyer to file some stuff.... but that's ok. One thing to be up front about stuff, and another to volunteer for a prostate exam. I'll let lawyers speak for me, like the founders found wise to do, sometimes.

/johnny

[JRandomFreeper]

To protect and serve.

Whether you want it or not.

/johnny

[Oliviaforever]

It’s Daytona.

Are the Yankee frat boys that go to Daytona for Spring Break that out of control?

[School of Rational Thought]

Besides the loss of weapons, I hear of numerous accidental discharges by officers. Our local sheriff’s department has accidental discharges at the range and the paper reports the incident as no injuries.

An instructor of a advanced firearms course I took was with the Wayne County Sheriff's Dept. (Detroit). He said the most dangerous part of his day is the time he is in the locker room because of the negligent discharges. Imagine being a Sheriff Deputy in Detroit and fearing your time in the locker room as the most dangerous part of your day.

[cva66snipe]

Hmmm. I remember a Friday night when a 3/8 open/box end wrench went missing from a tool kit. F-15s were grounded and hundreds of airmen missed getting drunk and/or laid until someone, somewhere, found the wrench. They found it behind a toilet in the little NCO's room, where it had fallen out of a back pocket. We found it around 11pm. But we weren't going home until someone coughed it up.

In my one year Army NG stint we went on one drill weekend Bivouacs. When we got back to the Armory one guy was minus the bolt for his M-16 rifle. No one left till it was found including a 50 mile round trip back to where we had been to search for it. It was found later that night.

The military weapons being given to civilian LE's is most likely in someone on the forces private collection likely like so called confiscated {cough cough} firearms.

[christx30]

Same reason the Keene, NH PD needs a Bearcat. Too much money budgeted for law enforcement. Some cops need to be laid off.

[JRandomFreeper]

Not my neck of the woods, Daytona.

I hear they have a beach.

If it's frat boys out of control, the men of the community need to take some action.

Even if it involves an out of county lawyer.

/johnny

[B4Ranch]

Was somebody afraid the wrench was inside an engine?

[JRandomFreeper]

I would have NEVER known that.

Yeah... I was an NCO.

Time to hold some folks accountable.

And they hate that so bad, I had to go to an out-of-county lawyer to find one that would ask hard questions. Starving lawyers serve a purpose.

/johnny

[Half Vast Conspiracy]

I do not imagine that the police make any such effort to find the stuff their officers pilfer.

Being able to break rules/law is a perk of the job.

[JRandomFreeper]

They didn't 'splain that. They just wanted that wrench back in it's spot in the tool box. Period. And nobody left until it was back.

Yes, probably, but theft was common, too.

You didn't turn in an incomplete tool box. Ever.

Might kill a pilot, but it WOULD keep you up all night.

I'm sanguine about pilots, they can make more. (God bless the men that fly and fight).

/johnny

[JRandomFreeper]

I mean to see that stop. Even if it harelips the governor.

/johnny

[hal ogen]

Cops stealing weapons that seem untraceable...who would have thought?

[cva66snipe]

Yeap Military has a lot stricter chain of custody on an automatic capable firearm than civilian LEA's. The bolt even if someone had a M-16 would have been useless. From what I was told bolt must match serial number of weapon to function.

I can understand why they did the search you spoke of. Having crew go up and their engine self destruct is not desirable.

Still the military level of personal accountability and repercussions {if it still exist like it did before} is far greater than civilian agencies personnel who can simply say well I quit Bye Ya'll.

[JRandomFreeper]

The AC that augured into the ground with the pilot had a loose bolt that kept the pilot from full control of the AC.

They did find out which shop did that, eventually.

I understand why accountability is important.

I mean to see that the local LE get the accountability, if they want the toys.

And I'm not too proud to go to an out-of-county lawyer to do the nasty service paperwork on piss-tests that include steroid testing.

That's what I pay a lawyer for, right?

You can't uphold the law by breaking the law.

/johnny

[RedMDer]

Woo hoo!!

Thousand Dollar Challenge!!

An anonymous FReeper will donate an extra $1,000 as soon as 10(ten) $100 new donations come in (and he’s good for it)!

Go, FReepers, GO!!

Thank you all very much!!

God bless.

[hoosierham]

I read that one U-boat nearly sank because of a wrench left on deck falling into and fouling a valve.

My thought was the possibility of the wrench being left in an engine was something that couldn’t be chanced.

During my time in a tire shop several rags and once even a file were found inside customer’s tires and the file didn’t puncture its way inside.!!!

[JRandomFreeper]

FODwalk.

/johnny

[cva66snipe]

It sounded like a remote open or a float valve in a bilge. I worked on 175-300 ton capacity air conditioning plants in the Navy. The impeller speed was about 10K rpm on some of the units. While we didn't have to count our tools we did anyway or at least a double look before bolting up the compressor. On one of them the impeller nut had come off. It could have went through the compressor housing but thankfully one of the guys heard it fall off the shaft when he shut the unit down and told our 1st class.

But the only thing I've seen more strict on tool control and handling of tools as to even specific allowed movements is warhead assembly :>} You just don't say hey pass me the wrench LOL.

[rey]

“When I was in the Marine Corps, losing a weapon was a guaranteed trip to Leavenworth.
This is why it pisses me off when too many here on FR try to equate the military and law enforcement.”

WHAT! You have got to be kidding me. You can enlist in the military as young as 17. Are you telling me that a 17 year old service member is more responsible, more reliable, more safety conscious than our peace officers?!?!?!? Be realistic. If anything they should be safer and they are not.

Of course I recognize the difference between the jobs, but law enforcement clearly has a lackadaisical attitude toward firearm safety. That is clearly unacceptable. These are alleged professionals and should suffer the consequences when they lack in professionalism.

I was stopped by the police one evening pulled from my vehicle and frisked while an officer held his weapon to my head with his partner standing opposite in the line of fire. Many, many officers are fools with regards to basic firearms safety.