Only The Police Are Responsible Enough to Have Guns

An M16 is missing from a Philadelphia Police locker:

“Obviously, this is very, very serious,” Ramsey said. “And believe me, we will get to the bottom of it, one way or another, I guarantee that.”

You’d think a critical mass of plutonium had gone missing or something. I mean, not that it’s not a problem, but I won’t lose any sleep over a missing M16, at least not anymore than who might be buying pressure cookers.

I’d also note that I hope that the weapon pictured in the story is not typical of the condition of the firearms in the PPD arsenal. If so, ugh.

17 thoughts on “Only The Police Are Responsible Enough to Have Guns”

  1. Ramsey isnt sure what the statue would be.. how about tax evasion and illegal transfer of an NFA firearm?

  2. Anyone remember the PPD evidence cop who was arrested on firearms violations. Seems he was taking firearms evidence and also converting firearms to full auto.

  3. I haven’t seen a M16 or AR15 that looks like that gun outside of a B movie.

  4. Flashback: Early in 1966 an M-14 turned up missing from our barracks, and we were confined to the barracks for the weekend.

    Which was dumb, because to my memory, the rifle rack had never been unlocked longer than the first few minutes after we each had a rifle assigned to us, and since we were trainees, we had no place to take or conceal a stolen rifle. It pretty clearly had been stolen by cadre and probably carried away in the trunk of a car. But you can never make too many gestures when it comes to demonstrating that you take things really, really seriously.

  5. That M16 looks like what I used to train with in the National.Guard………..25 years ago. Including the triangular forestock and tape around the butt. If that’s the military surplus going to the police, God help them. Because I’m not sure that the rifle will.

  6. The article DID say “Vietnam-era M16”, but still. The gun in that photo is VERY well-used, if not simply poor condition.

  7. Ah, Ramsey. Earned his stripes as commander of the Illinios State Police. That should tell you all you need to know about him.

  8. y’know.. the first thing I thought when I saw that photo was, “awww..” My mind went immediately to what could be done to spruce it up, with the nagging question of ‘I wonder how it shoots?’

  9. If they “properly” store their weapons as they should and the way they demand of us it should be rather simple to discover who took it. There should be a very small number of people with access to the keys. But it looks like they hang on to their full-autos just like the BATFE in Milwaukee. TS

  10. Another Army flashback: One of my commanding officers (sadly, about the only one I kinda liked and respected) was relieved of his command when it came to light that some NCOs and enlisted men had been stealing (engined parts) from the Army and selling to the locals. Not that he had anything to do with it, but the military attitude was, he should have known about it.

    Too bad our paramilitary police departments are all that military when it comes to that sort of thing.

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