Police search for equipment, vehicle stolen from officer
Katie Nelson
The Arizona Republic
Aug. 9, 2005 12:00 AM

TEMPE - Tempe police are conducting an internal investigation into the weekend disappearance of a police commander's department car, uniforms and gun.

The car was stolen Saturday, and Phoenix police are searching for the items.

Before the theft, Cmdr. Tom Long was showing a friend and her 6-year-old son around the Police Department's substation in south Tempe, he told investigators. They then went for ice cream.

It was about 11 p.m. when Long dropped the pair off at their east Phoenix home. He walked them to their door, leaving the four-door, gold Chevy Lumina idling at the end of a driveway.

The booty included many police items: a Glock .45-caliber handgun, six navy Tempe police uniforms, Long's police ID, boots, camouflage pants and several SWAT training shirts, according to Dan Masters, department spokesman.

The car is one of the police's 112 take-home cars and motorcycles. Department members are allowed to drive the vehicles to and from work and for on-duty purposes.

Long, a 17-year police veteran, could be disciplined after the internal investigation, Masters said, but no details will be released until its completion. Until then, Long will still act as the downtown and tactical commander.

"Tom has been nothing short of forthcoming," Masters said.

"He acknowledges he used poor judgment."

The car is a 1998 model with tinted windows and Arizona license plate 334-BRW.

A friggin 1998 LUMINA?  I'd be parking the thing in the crack district with a "Please steal me" sign, windows  rolled down, keys in the ignition, and an envelope on the dash with gas money.

Could it be this was deliberate? I'd leave the thing running too.  I'd have no idea if it would ever start again.

i heard this on the radio yesterday morning on the way to work.  

Department members are allowed to drive the vehicles to and from work and for on-duty purposes.

...and going on dates, and getting ice cream...