Houston: 2 police vehicles missing

Associated Press ^ | July 7, 2002 | Associated Press Staff

[MeekOneGOP]

Houston: 2 police vehicles missing

07/07/2002

Associated Press

HOUSTON - Two Houston Police Department marked cars have either been stolen or misplaced for more than two weeks.

The department's Internal Affairs and Criminal Intelligence divisions are investigating.

"They could be in the salvage yard," police spokesman John Cannon said Saturday. "We don't know if they were stolen or they just got misplaced somewhere administratively."

The Houston Chronicle reported that the cars were discovered missing June 21 from the department's central parking garage.

"I think it has caught all of us by surprise," said Hans Marticiuc, president of the Houston Police Officers Union. "It's a concern, if they are actually missing, that someone could get into the garage and have such easy access that they could not only take the cars but possibly do things to other vehicles that officers are driving."

The cars, both Ford Crown Victorias, had mobile data computer terminals on board. Neither computer has been activated, police said.

Police spokesman Robert Hurst said the department cannot rule out that the cars, a 1999 model and a 1997 model, were stolen. The department's central garage is not access screened and does not have a 24-hour guard, staff supervisor Sgt. Jim Stowe said.

If the cars were stolen, they could be used to impersonate police officers, Mr. Marticiuc said.

"That kind of stuff comes back on all of us," he said. "The uniforms a similar type of uniform, is very easy to get."

Officials said there is no evidence that the possible thefts are related to terrorism.

The cars, last fueled by officers on April 2 and 3 according to records, had received extended maintenance service and were to be returned to the garage two weeks before they were discovered missing, Sgt. Stowe said.

---

Online at: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dallas/tsw/stories/070702dntextswfiller.41e3d.html

[BUSHdude2000]

Maybe they need more tax money from us to keep track of their cars.

[TomGuy]

"We don't know if they were stolen or they just got misplaced somewhere administratively."

Well, quick! Call the Police. Oh, wait...you are the Police....nevermind.


Hey, dude, where's my car?

[TightSqueeze]

Two Houston Police Department marked cars have either been stolen or misplaced for more than two weeks.

Befor jumping to conclusions, has anyone checked out back behind the Dunkin Doughnuts?

[archy]

...put the picture on the side of a milk carton, I guess....

[APBaer]

"Car 54" where are you?

[BUSHdude2000]

That's a good point, although Krispy Kreme's have finally hit Houston, so maybe we can find the cars now.

[LibKill]

Krispy Kreme's have finally hit Houston, so maybe we can find the cars now.

So, the Crown Victoria has a homing instinct? :)

[aimhigh]

They could be in the salvage yard.

They could be in Mexico.

[MeekOneGOP]

Maybe they need more tax money from us to keep track of their cars.

LOL! (whispers) Shhhhhhh! They could be listening.......

[jigsaw]

...put the picture on the side of a milk carton, I guess....

ROTFLMAO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Senator Pardek]

"Houston - we have a problem."

[weegee]

That's okay, the police authorized a tow of my car last week when I was legally parked at the curb. Reason cited was "other".

[thegreatbeast]

There is much to laugh at here. "Hey, Dude, where's my car?", sums it up perfectly.
But with everything else going on in the world, this could be a very scary development too. Having a few terrorists riding around in official police cars is not a very comforting thought.

[SSN558]

Hey, I lost my police car. Did you see it anywhere ?

I dunno, maybe. What did it look like ?

Well, it's black with a white stripe on both sides, and it has a red light on the top. Oh yeh, it had a shotgun in the front seat and a way cool CB radio.

[NMFXSTC]

What's sacry is that these vehicles we gassed up in April and then no one knows a thing about for them two weeks?

What we have here is a "failure to communicate" (more to the point, a failure to be accountable! How the Hell any agency could lose a 4,000 pound vehicle boggles the mind, much less two marked squad cars! (Maybe there is some over spending in Houston if they don;t need these cars and can allow them to be out of service and unaccounted for?)

[meyer]

They could be in Mexico.

You mean that's not the salvage yard?

[mfulstone]

"The uniforms a similar type of uniform, is very easy to get."

I used to live in the old 6th ward of Houston, just a few blocks from the police garage. There was a police equipment store on the same block and a uniform store just one block from my house.

(¡VIVA SESTO!)
:)

[PatrioticAmerican]

Mexico?

[ofMagog]

Cobbie:
Those two cars you have on the barge tied up next to us sure smell of new paint.