Last year those lovely displaced individuals ended up on my streets and one of them actually broke into my car three times, stealing a gun (curing me of the vehicle gun scenario for good) and destroying my dashboard trying to steal a cheap aftermarket radio. Anyway, I report the first theft (where the asshole made out with the goods) and gave the officer the most accurate description of a stolen weapon he ever probably ever got. I even called back having found a ballistic casing that shipped with the gun and offered that for any future crime scene work, but he refused it.

Fast forward to today. It is almost a year to the day this all happened, so I decided to make a follow up call to determine if anything had developed. I read the detective my case number and he returned my call with some distressing news. He asked if I ever gave the officer a serial number. The gun in question was an old workhorse of mine and I shot it faithfully for years. Moreover it has a 2 letter, 4 number serial #, so it is indellibly etched into my brain. "Of course  I gave it to him, it's 'XXXXXX' " I said without batting an eyelid.

The detective told me it could be that the officer didn't enter it on the report but he did put it into the database, and that he would check. If it wasn't he would enter it in himself. I asked the detective whether or not it was in there if he would call me and let me know.  The detective returned my call (he was very good about returning calls) and he informed me it was never in the system but he had entered it in now.

So thanks to this cop's sloppy work, the asshole could have pawned it or brought it to a show without raising any red flag, and there exists the larger possiblilty now, that some hard-working stiff has spent money on my ill-gotten weapon. Just as bad, it could have been confiscated and destroyed by now without me being notified. I have the officer's name in my case record and I am thinking of reporting this to his supervisor this week for whatever good this will/will not do. So the lesson learned about this is in addition to combing the pawn shops for the next month, be sure and call the station a few days later to ensure the serial number is entered into the system, EVEN IF YOU SEE THE OFFICER WRITE THE SERIAL NUMBER DOWN

Quoted: Last year those lovely displaced individuals ended up on my streets and one of them actually broke into my car three times, stealing a gun (curing me of the vehicle gun scenario for good) and destroying my dashboard trying to steal a cheap aftermarket radio. Anyway, I report the first theft (where the asshole made out with the goods) and gave the officer the most accurate description of a stolen weapon he ever probably ever got. I even called back having found a ballistic casing that shipped with the gun and offered that for any future crime scene work, but he refused it. Fast forward to today. It is almost a year to the day this all happened, so I decided to make a follow up call to determine if anything had developed. I read the detective my case number and he returned my call with some distressing news. He asked if I ever gave the officer a serial number. The gun in question was an old workhorse of mine and I shot it faithfully for years. Moreover it has a 2 letter, 4 number serial #, so it is indellibly etched into my brain. "Of course  I gave it to him, it's 'XXXXXX' " I said without batting an eyelid. The detective told me it could be that the officer didn't enter it on the report but he did put it into the database, and that he would check. If it wasn't he would enter it in himself. I asked the detective whether or not it was in there if he would call me and let me know.  The detective returned my call (he was very good about returning calls) and he informed me it was never in the system but he had entered it in now. So thanks to this cop's sloppy work, the asshole could have pawned it or brought it to a show without raising any red flag, and there exists the larger possiblilty now, that some hard-working stiff has spent money on my ill-gotten weapon. Just as bad, it could have been confiscated and destroyed by now without me being notified. I have the officer's name in my case record and I am thinking of reporting this to his supervisor this week for whatever good this will/will not do. So the lesson learned about this is in addition to combing the pawn shops for the next month, be sure and call the station a few days later to ensure the serial number is entered into the system, EVEN IF YOU SEE THE OFFICER WRITE THE SERIAL NUMBER DOWN

If you find out it's been destroyed and you otherwise would have gotten it back, sue like hell.

that's some bullshit right there.



the cop probably figured "oh, these things never get recovered.  why bother?".



have you fired off a letter or a phone call to the department regarding the issue?  i know i would.

yep, stolen firearms can get entered into NCIC just like wanted people do.

For all you know, some cop somewhere may have arrested the suspect and found your gun. But if it wasn't entered into NCIC they had no way to know its stolen and no way to get it back to you. It maybe have been destroyed or sitting in some evidence locker right now.
Real big fuck up on the part of the cop that took your report, not to mention his supervisor.

Quoted: that's some bullshit right there. the cop probably figured "oh, these things never get recovered.  why bother?". have you fired off a letter or a phone call to the department regarding the issue?  i know i would.

Yep. One of our dispatchers had a Glock stolen out of his home last year. About a week later, a vehicle was stopped about 4 streets over from his house, and guess what happened to be inside...

Edit: The point being, entering into NCIC is required, and for good reason.

I had a similar experience with an efficient S.O... Had a dump trailer stolen out of my drive, had all numbers etc and a good description.  

I got a call six months later:

"We were just wondering if you'd found the stolen trailer yet."

No, but if I do I'll be sure and call so that you can remove it from the "ignore" file.

Quoted: I had a similar experience with an efficient S.O... Had a dump trailer stolen out of my drive, had all numbers etc and a good description.   I got a call six months later: "We were just wondering if you'd found the stolen trailer yet." No, but if I do I'll be sure and call so that you can remove it from the "ignore" file.

That's a regular part of a property detectives job. If you had any idea how many times we've pulled over "stolen" cars and dragged the owner out at gunpoint, you wouldn't at it.

ROD=

Retired
On
Duty  

How do you know that one guy broke into your car 3 times.  Is it possible 3 different people broke into your car?  Where do you park your car?  My car has been burglarized 1 time in 29 years.

You should have asked for a copy of the report a year ago.  You could have seen if the gun was entered in the "Automated Firearm System"

property crimes are a low priority for LE because the courts will not hand out jail time for it.  They are probationary matters in the eyes of the court where the suspect just has to make restitution and all is well.  

It sucks but when the people elect judges and DAs that believe that, they get this result.  I wish there was enough jail space to give the suspects hard time.  

Quoted: Quoted: I had a similar experience with an efficient S.O... Had a dump trailer stolen out of my drive, had all numbers etc and a good description.   I got a call six months later: "We were just wondering if you'd found the stolen trailer yet." No, but if I do I'll be sure and call so that you can remove it from the "ignore" file. That's a regular part of a property detectives job. If you had any idea how many times we've pulled over "stolen" cars and dragged the owner out at gunpoint, you wouldn't at it.

I understand, never thought of that side of it.  Do people really "find" their stolen cars and not report that fact, or does the "it's been recovered" report never make the database?

Quoted: property crimes are a low priority for LE because the courts will not hand out jail time for it.  They are probationary matters in the eyes of the court where the suspect just has to make restitution and all is well.   It sucks but when the people elect judges and DAs that believe that, they get this result.  I wish there was enough jail space to give the suspects hard time.

MOST property crimes are low priority, but stealing a firearm is a felony in MN, but point well taken.

Was it by chance a weapon with "confusing" serial numbers?

Smith Revolvers are one.

Imported Mil-surps another....

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I had a similar experience with an efficient S.O... Had a dump trailer stolen out of my drive, had all numbers etc and a good description.   I got a call six months later: "We were just wondering if you'd found the stolen trailer yet." No, but if I do I'll be sure and call so that you can remove it from the "ignore" file. That's a regular part of a property detectives job. If you had any idea how many times we've pulled over "stolen" cars and dragged the owner out at gunpoint, you wouldn't at it. I understand, never thought of that side of it.  Do people really "find" their stolen cars and not report that fact, or does the "it's been recovered" report never make the database?

I would estimate that at least half of the vehicles that I enter into FCIC as stolen are vehicles that are loaned out and not returned. Some really DO find their own cars and take them back, and then think that's that, but that's extremely rare. Joe Blow gets his car back from the idiot he loaned it to, and somehow thinks that stolen vehicles report just "goes away." That's the reason property detectives get to sit at their desk and call people all day long asking if their car, or trailer, or dildo is still stolen. I promise you, they don't do it because they enjoy it.

Quoted: Was it by chance a weapon with "confusing" serial numbers? ... Imported Mil-surps another....

no shit.  when i was documenting all my firearms, i went to take the serial off my m44 and i noticed every single part had a different #.  not only that, there were two different numbers on the reciever


ETA:  yes, i know it's a parts gun

Most LE agencies I know of don't have patrol officers enter stuff like that into NCIC/TCIC.  My agency the dispatch does it.  Houston PD they have staff review personell do it.  Maybe it wasn't the officer's fault.

Quoted: Most LE agencies I know of don't have patrol officers enter stuff like that into NCIC/TCIC.  My agency the dispatch does it.  Houston PD they have staff review personell do it.  Maybe it wasn't the officer's fault.

That is what I was thinking. Until recently we did everything on paper reports and a bunch of girls (nonLEO by the way) downtown put them in all day.  Easy to miss something, as they got alot of reports.

Well, I hope others take a lesson from your "Trunk Guns are a BAD FUCKING IDEA" experience. Like you probably are, I am hoping the guns taken from my home aren't going to be used by the criminal for criminal deeds. Nothing would suck worse than to get a call and find out that your weapon was used to kill a 16 year old over an arguement about a girl after school.

Dave

BTW: I got about the same level of service from my local LE department, and had 11 guns stolen, including three proper battle rifles. Cops are too busy to mess with small potatos like you and me these days-if they come across it in a vehicle stop and the SN# comes up missing, well great, but they aren't going to go out of their way to solve the crime.

Quoted: BTW: I got about the same level of service from my local LE department, and had 11 guns stolen, including three proper battle rifles. Cops are too busy to mess with small potatos like you and me these days-if they come across it in a vehicle stop and the SN# comes up missing, well great, but they aren't going to go out of their way to solve the crime.

OK, sir, what exactly should a cop do to track down your guns? Without some witnesses of something, hitting the pawn shops is about as far as it gets. Did you lo-jack your guns?

Many police don't know where the serial numbers are on most guns.
I had my guns 'stored for safe keeping' a 2 years ago, and when I went to get them, most of the guns listed on the property card didn't even list the SERNO's. Pathetic.

Quoted: Quoted: BTW: I got about the same level of service from my local LE department, and had 11 guns stolen, including three proper battle rifles. Cops are too busy to mess with small potatos like you and me these days-if they come across it in a vehicle stop and the SN# comes up missing, well great, but they aren't going to go out of their way to solve the crime. OK, sir, what exactly should a cop do to track down your guns? Without some witnesses of something, hitting the pawn shops is about as far as it gets. Did you lo-jack your guns?

Well, when I tell him that:

a) only two people knew I was leaving the state for a funeral
b) I can account for one of their whereabouts
c) the other guy has a buddy has a felon-buddy with previous convictions, and has been attempting to purchase firearms on ARFCOM
d) I learned after my burglary that he was involved with another one in a neighboring city
e) I tell him about the purchase attempts on ARFCOM, and that staff have offered to assist him if need be


and to date (this was the week prior to Memorial Day, I came home that saturday) they have done absolutely NOTHING to this shitstain. Hell, even if it wasn't him, I implicated the fuck in at least two crimes that should have his ass back in jail. The last time I called the detective, he didn't know who I was our why I would be callng him-his exact words!

It's amazing what you find out about your friend's friends after something like this goes down. I believe my burglary was the product of a big mouth by my friend who like to pump himself up about going shooting, hiking, and all the cool toys his buddy Dave has(d).

My losses were in the 15K range, and I was made to feel as if it really wasn't a priority to anyone but the responding officer and the desk officer who wanted to get the SN's into NICs as soon as possible. Detective Hieder has done absolutely BUPKISS for me.

Dave

Quoted: Quoted: ...if they come across it in a vehicle stop and the SN# comes up missing, well great, but they aren't going to go out of their way to solve the crime. OK, sir, what exactly should a cop do to track down your guns?

Whatever you do, don't run the serial number of a gun you find in a vehicle during a traffic stop.
[arfcom] They don't have probably cause to run the serial numbers.  Did they run the s/n of your car stereo?  The fact it's a weapon and could be returned to its real owner is immaterial. [/arfcom]

Update: I registered a complaint with Internal Affairs, and discovered that this incompetant asshole didn't even enter the make and model into the report either ... just "silver .45". So, I am told the complaint will be lodged and the officer's supervisor will be informed, the officer will recieve "counselling on the matter", and that's that. In conclusion, the criminal fuckes me over regarding personal property and the incompetant cop fucks me out of my only recourse.

Quoted: I would estimate that at least half of the vehicles that I enter into FCIC as stolen are vehicles that are loaned out and not returned. Some really DO find their own cars and take them back, and then think that's that, but that's extremely rare. Joe Blow gets his car back from the idiot he loaned it to, and somehow thinks that stolen vehicles report just "goes away." That's the reason property detectives get to sit at their desk and call people all day long asking if their car, or trailer, or dildo is still stolen. I promise you, they don't do it because they enjoy it.

When I take a stolen vehicle report I am explicit with the owner that if they happen to find their vehicle to call the local po-po to recover the car - 1: To preserve any evidence 2: To remove the vehicle from SVS because anybody found driving a car that's in SVS is going to be pulled out at gun point.  I generally repeat #2 3-4 times.....

Brian