...Los Angeles 1935..."Dump 'em in the Ocean"...

[ParadiseRoad]

..."On July 18, 1935, Chief James Davis displayed confiscated weapons for newspaper photographers. The caption in the next morning’s Los Angeles Times explained:

A step toward disarmament, at least as far at the underworld is concerned, was taken yesterday as police gathered together more than $2000 worth of weapons, confiscated from lawbreakers, preparatory to dumping the arms into the ocean.

Looking on the heap of weapons are, left to right, Policewoman Rehling, Chief of Police Davis and Policewoman Stevens."...

 

[Absalom]

Ah yes, Chief "Two-Gun" Davis, one of LAPD's more "colorful" chiefs.

I first met him fictionalized in James Ellroy's novels, but after reading up on him, I realized Ellroy didn't exaggerate much.

 

[murphydog]

Too bad about the Thompsons. Maybe an officer plucked them off the boat before they went overboard.

 

[Jeppo]

We’ve learned a lot about safe gun handling since then.

 

[Tom K]

I'll bet there were some prewar guns in that pile.

 

[Chuck24]

That hurts worse than Old Yeller dying.

 

[Wyatt Burp]

I knew someone who was a LEO in San Francisco in the 1960s and said guns were put on a barge and dumped in the bay. All that Hoppes 9 must have hurt the poor fish! But he said all the guns didn’t necessarily go overboard. I remember him mentioning a “gold plated Thompson” in the pile once. He was not a bul......Uhh, exaggerator.

 

[Charlie Foxtrott]

I love all the brass knuckles.

They even have them hanging on the wall in the background like decorations. And that scattergun on the wall all the way to the left. Looks like a sawed off ten gauge.

 

[CajunBass]

I would imagine it took the underworld about 15 minutes to replace those...assuming they stopped for coffee.

 

[Valmet]

Looks like a majority may have been Iver Johnsons and low-end Euro SxSs?

 

[Bubba2014]

It's a shame that many departments destroy seized weapons instead of selling to FFL dealers and using the proceeds to purchase new duty weapons, or other police equipment.

 

[andy52]

The newly minted NFA act of 1934 made a whole bunch of the firearms shown it that photo illegal.

 

[jrm53]

You can bet the two thompsons were not on the boat when they went to dump them in the ocean if they were dumped at all. Jeff

 

[italiansport]

You can bet the two thompsons were not on the boat when they went to dump them in the ocean if they were dumped at all. Jeff

I agree: Even back then someone in the department would have had sense enough to keep the Thompson's for internal use! Although the FBI back in the 60s did chop up all the Thompson's they had except a couple that was retained for exhibition! What a waste!
Jim

 

[federali]

Police Insanity

NYPD does the same thing but they also disable the guns before the barge departs for an offshore dumping location. This is to insure that mermaids and perhaps a super species of fish do not attempt to use the things.

Last time I saw a picture of the loaded barge, one of the guns strapped into a bundle was a Savage Model 99.

 

[MrOverlay]

I've never understood this mentality.

If a person robs a bank and uses a car for the getaway, if caught they don't destroy the car.

If someone sells drugs out of their house and are caught, they don't destroy the house.

This is silliness at an extreme level.

Glad I live in Kentucky where seized guns are sold back to dealers.

 

[6518John]

I had always thought these destruction programs were a modern development. Shows what I know.

 

[soFlaNative]

Any ideas as to what is laying across the crates?
Looks blued but I can't make out the capped end.
40 inch hand cannon?

 

[jag312]

If those Thompsons went into the drink, I'm gonna cry.

 

[Texas Star]

This shows how long anti gunners have been using the willing media for emotional photos like these.

Strangely, with most anti gun zealots probably also being greenies, they don't object to dumping guns in the ocean! I think that's not good for oceanic environments.

Maybe the idea is that the guns will eventually become artificial reefs?

Is this the chief for whom the headquarters in LA is named? I think it's the Davis Building? Read that somewhere. It's the bldg. on Joe Friday's badge, and I think Jack Webb's Dragnet shows were somewhat anti gun. If you look into Webb's early life, that's not surprising, but we can't go there on this board.