jtpur
Member
I had a rather interesting experience yesterday dealing with my former Police Agency.
A bit of background. I retired after over twenty years of service to my Police Agency. I won't name them in this post.
Early last week, my carry gun was either stolen or I somehow managed to loose it. I'm still not quite certain. I remember having it in my pocket while I ate lunch with a friend in a local restaurant. I am 99.9% certain I put it in my console on the way back to work because the company I work for does not permit guns inside the building.
About 3 pm I left work and looked in the console for my gun and it was gone. Then I tried to remember if I really did put it in the console or did it fall out of my pocket....etc etc.
I even wondered if I had really brought it to work. You see when you have carried a gun daily for over 40 years you are not even aware you have it at times. Like not putting on your watch and you don't notice till you look to see what time it is.
I went home found my paper work and got the sn and called it in via phone. I have two exact same models and I wanted to make sure I reported the correct one missing...I know all my gun SN's but this time I wanted to be sure because I carry both at times.
Thursday I received a call from an officer telling me that my gun was turned in and for some reason the person who turned it in kept it a few days before calling the police...that's another story....but at least it was in good hands.
I know the drill and was told bring your "ownership" papers and ID to the evidence section and retrieve your gun. Then he asked me how many rounds I had. I told him the number, brand and grain. Hmmmm he said.....
Next day (yesterday bright and early I show up at my former employer...I call evidence from the lobby phone, give the clerk my case number and Im on hold for ten minutes. "we cant find anything under that case number.."I tell her that perhaps the officer who put it into evidence obtained a new case number and did not cross ref to the original. She told me that I should come back in a few days. I told her to run the serial number and it would cross reference to the case in which it was placed into evidence. (It's nice to know how these things work). She tells me she cant do that. Now Im a bit angry to say the least.
I finally tell her "Look, Im a retired Det Sergeant and yes you can......and if you cant your supervisor can. She tells me to wait. Five minutes later she says she found the report but she cant release the gun because the reporting officer did not list me as the owner.
I politely tell her I am the owner, I reported it lost/stolen and I have the bill of sale. (There are no ownership papers in Florida) She say it does not matter I have to be listed as the owner.
Now Im really mad, and I tell her that is BS...and I don't use the abbreviation either. I demand her supervisor...Another five minute hold...."Hello this is XXXX we can't release "YOUR" gun because You are not listed as the owner." I tell her I have the bill of sale, I reported it and she can release it with a supplement to the report...."Released to Mr. (my name) upon presentation of proof of ownership." She tells me she can not do that, and I will have to wait until I am listed as the owner of the gun.
I am amazed...baffled and really p---ed. I tell her that is ridiculous......and while Im doing it Im texting the Chief who I hired thirty years ago when I ran personnel. She tells me to calm down and have a seat and because Im a retired member she will call the officer in off the road.
Ten minutes later the aid at the front desk received a call and asked me my name. I told her and then she turned off the volume behind her partition and I saw her shake her head in the affirmative. Five minutes later a Sergeant (I hired him 20 years ago) came out introduced himself and finally recognized me... He said he would take car of this for me and said the paper work got messed up.
Twenty minutes later the evidence supervisor came out, had me sign for my gun. She gave me the magazine back and said, "We cant return the ammunition" I asked Why and she said, "Chief's orders we don't return ammo." I asked her under what authority they were withholding my property...She said Chief's orders. I said ok, but under what legal authority, what law, what court case? She said, Look it is the Chief's orders.
I said so if the Chief ordered you to shoot me would you do that too or would you need a lawful reason? I was so damn mad by then I figured I better just leave... and I did.
So If I was treated the exact way civilians are treated then you civilians are in deep trouble.....The process which I probably did some get some relief from was only because I knew the system and I knew who to get in touch with....had that been your gun, and had you not known what I know or if you lost your "OWNERSHIP PAPERS" you would never get your property back absent a law suit....
Oh and when I got home I took my gun apart.. I am a gun clean freak. It was very obvious to me the gun had been fired....more than once I might add.....I can see the PD test firing a gun to see if ballistics match any unsolved homicides but it does not take seven rounds to do a ballistics match..well perhaps the person who turned it in after a few days took it out shooting....
A bit of background. I retired after over twenty years of service to my Police Agency. I won't name them in this post.
Early last week, my carry gun was either stolen or I somehow managed to loose it. I'm still not quite certain. I remember having it in my pocket while I ate lunch with a friend in a local restaurant. I am 99.9% certain I put it in my console on the way back to work because the company I work for does not permit guns inside the building.
About 3 pm I left work and looked in the console for my gun and it was gone. Then I tried to remember if I really did put it in the console or did it fall out of my pocket....etc etc.
I even wondered if I had really brought it to work. You see when you have carried a gun daily for over 40 years you are not even aware you have it at times. Like not putting on your watch and you don't notice till you look to see what time it is.
I went home found my paper work and got the sn and called it in via phone. I have two exact same models and I wanted to make sure I reported the correct one missing...I know all my gun SN's but this time I wanted to be sure because I carry both at times.
Thursday I received a call from an officer telling me that my gun was turned in and for some reason the person who turned it in kept it a few days before calling the police...that's another story....but at least it was in good hands.
I know the drill and was told bring your "ownership" papers and ID to the evidence section and retrieve your gun. Then he asked me how many rounds I had. I told him the number, brand and grain. Hmmmm he said.....
Next day (yesterday bright and early I show up at my former employer...I call evidence from the lobby phone, give the clerk my case number and Im on hold for ten minutes. "we cant find anything under that case number.."I tell her that perhaps the officer who put it into evidence obtained a new case number and did not cross ref to the original. She told me that I should come back in a few days. I told her to run the serial number and it would cross reference to the case in which it was placed into evidence. (It's nice to know how these things work). She tells me she cant do that. Now Im a bit angry to say the least.
I finally tell her "Look, Im a retired Det Sergeant and yes you can......and if you cant your supervisor can. She tells me to wait. Five minutes later she says she found the report but she cant release the gun because the reporting officer did not list me as the owner.
I politely tell her I am the owner, I reported it lost/stolen and I have the bill of sale. (There are no ownership papers in Florida) She say it does not matter I have to be listed as the owner.
Now Im really mad, and I tell her that is BS...and I don't use the abbreviation either. I demand her supervisor...Another five minute hold...."Hello this is XXXX we can't release "YOUR" gun because You are not listed as the owner." I tell her I have the bill of sale, I reported it and she can release it with a supplement to the report...."Released to Mr. (my name) upon presentation of proof of ownership." She tells me she can not do that, and I will have to wait until I am listed as the owner of the gun.
I am amazed...baffled and really p---ed. I tell her that is ridiculous......and while Im doing it Im texting the Chief who I hired thirty years ago when I ran personnel. She tells me to calm down and have a seat and because Im a retired member she will call the officer in off the road.
Ten minutes later the aid at the front desk received a call and asked me my name. I told her and then she turned off the volume behind her partition and I saw her shake her head in the affirmative. Five minutes later a Sergeant (I hired him 20 years ago) came out introduced himself and finally recognized me... He said he would take car of this for me and said the paper work got messed up.
Twenty minutes later the evidence supervisor came out, had me sign for my gun. She gave me the magazine back and said, "We cant return the ammunition" I asked Why and she said, "Chief's orders we don't return ammo." I asked her under what authority they were withholding my property...She said Chief's orders. I said ok, but under what legal authority, what law, what court case? She said, Look it is the Chief's orders.
I said so if the Chief ordered you to shoot me would you do that too or would you need a lawful reason? I was so damn mad by then I figured I better just leave... and I did.
So If I was treated the exact way civilians are treated then you civilians are in deep trouble.....The process which I probably did some get some relief from was only because I knew the system and I knew who to get in touch with....had that been your gun, and had you not known what I know or if you lost your "OWNERSHIP PAPERS" you would never get your property back absent a law suit....
Oh and when I got home I took my gun apart.. I am a gun clean freak. It was very obvious to me the gun had been fired....more than once I might add.....I can see the PD test firing a gun to see if ballistics match any unsolved homicides but it does not take seven rounds to do a ballistics match..well perhaps the person who turned it in after a few days took it out shooting....
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