gunsbathroom

“’The Department takes very seriously all breaches of Department rules and has established policies that address such matters,’ said Lt. Kimberly Schneider.” The “such matters” Lt. Schneider’s talking about is a rash of shockingly casual firearms handling practices by the Captiol Police as detailed in a rollcall.com article. That GLOCK stuffed in the toilet seat cover dispenser above was left by a member of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s security detail in a Capitol Visitor Center stall back in January. An 8-year-old found another pistol. . .

in the bathroom of House Speaker John Boehner’s office suite. That one was a left behind by a “dignitary protection officer.” And a third unattended GLOCK was found by a janitor when he was tidying up Capitol Police HQ last month.

How often do officers leave their guns unattended around the Capitol complex? The answer is unknown because Capitol Police are not required to disclose such incidents. The Jan. 29 incident went out over the radio system, but the other two have been kept quiet, based on conversations with nine Capitol Police employees from various divisions, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal issues. None seemed surprised, and two offered other examples of officers who were investigated for leaving their guns unsecured or unattended.

Such lax gun-handling practices must result in some pretty stiff penalties, no? As Lt. Schneider’s statement makes clear, we’ll never know.

“Each disciplinary matter is thoroughly investigated and reviewed, employees are held accountable for their conduct, and they are provided due process in adjudicating these matters. Depending on the nature and seriousness of the violation, an employee’s record, and other ‎required considerations, an appropriate penalty is applied, up to and including termination of employment. As a matter of policy, the Department does not routinely discuss internal personnel matters, in order to maintain the integrity of the Department.”

Maybe part of the reason the gyrocopter wacko who landed outside the capitol wasn’t shot down is that no one who was in charge of security could locate their weapon. As we like to say around here, you’re your own first responder. That’s advice anyone who works on Capitol Hill will want to take to heart.

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56 COMMENTS

    • Even if they only allowed cops to have guns, at the rate these morons are leaving their heaters in toilet stalls and other public places, we’d all be armed up again (at taxpayer expense) in no time.

      • Oh no, the leniency would stop immediately if somebody actually took one of the guns, and the capital police found out about it. THEN, there would be hell to pay!

        They get some ridiculing around the office. You get every charge pressed they can come up with.

        Sound about right?

  2. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again.

    If you are sitting down on the toilet your pants will make a impromptu gun hammock.

    Even if you forget the smoke wagon is there, pull up your pants, and go about your business, the gun will be coming with you.

  3. Damn…not a single one of the crappers I’ve used in the House and Senate office buildings had one of those nifty Glock dispensers on the wall…That’s some pro-2A sh!t there…

  6. “As a matter of policy, the Department does not routinely discuss internal personnel matters, in order to maintain the integrity of the Department”

    Seems to me, if your hiding information, that is not integrity — sounds more like they are trying to hide facts that will embarrass them.

    • Exactly. This is just CYA so the general public (and the politicians?) don’t figure out how inept the Capitol Police are.

  9. So this is my understanding…..

    Capitol police and others are leaving free glocks to whoever finds them first? So we should go wander the capitol building bathrooms searching for slightly used, already loaded free Glock brand glocks and possible other prizes?

    Wonder if the wife is up for a trip?

    • What is really scary is that nobody mentions that someone else, that is not supposed to have a weapon, could find these and use one of them. Seems like incidents like this should not be a secret. The more we know the more we can hold someone responsible. Why are the employees that did this exempt from any kind of reprimand or punishment? How brain dead do you have to be to forget to put your weapon back where it belongs ? I would think that a firing anyone who did this might just get the others to think twice and remember to retrieve their weapon when leaving the bathroom.

      • What do you mean by someone finding it that is not supposed to have a weapon?

        • Depending on the location within DC, that could pretty much be anyone other than secret service and Capitol police. Imagine if a wacko visiting congress found one in the bathroom there and went to the gallery for some target practice.

  10. Its a risk/reward deal, if you see one – grab it, just be aware of the downside of the possibility of being caught with a gun in the Capitol Visitor Center.

  12. So a proposed question of the day:

    If you found a “number two special” would you keep it, turn it in, or…?

    • Several things are tempting… Throw it the bowl and play battleship? Keep mag, chambered round, and recoil assembly? Call Fox News?

      • Put a 9mm round in a .40 cal? Remove the rounds from the mag and put them in backwards? Upgrade the crappy recoil spring with stainless steel or tungsten? Replace the crappy plastic sights with Trijicon HD? Alternate snap caps and live rounds? The possibilities are nearly endless.

        I see a possibility – how about a 3 day suspension without pay? And if the cops lies about the incident, termination from employment seems appropriate. If this happened to John Q. Taxpayer, it’d probably be 6 O’clock news.

        • How about posting their picture on the net with a hand written sign saying, “I left my loaded gun in a public place where kids and criminals could find it”. Like pet shaming.

          All joking aside, this sort of mistake needs real disciplinary action, and it should not be swept under the rug.

  14. Lt. Schneider’s talking about is a rash of shockingly casual firearms handling practices by the Capitol Police . This is why only Police and Military should only be allowed to have guns, as they are all highly trained and responsible agents of the state. He, he, he, haw..

  15. If I ever find someones gun in the shitter like that, im throwing it in the toilet and shitting all over it…. no courtesy flush either! Then im walking away
    On second thought, thats a bit over the top but itd sure be funny

  16. Only well trained professionals should have firearms. The rest of us just need to lock ourselves away in fortified houses, drive armored vehicles, work in highly secure areas, send kids to walled schools with the draw bridges and castle gates. Let freedom ring. They need a firearm they can carry their money and credit cards in, bet they would check and see if they still had them more often. It’s just stupid beyond words.

    • As equal opportunity employers, I wonder how many guns are found in/on the lunchbox on the ladies side?

  21. That janitor could have gotten a free Glock and a standard-capacity mag to go with it. Such a shame.

  22. Seems like the DC gun ban should be extended to the police. Watching TV, seems like police nationwide are getting their time in the barrel.

  23. Question: if you find a LEO’s forgotten weapon, should you return it without the magazine for the cop’s own safety?

  24. Apparently capitol police do not have to report lost firearms.

    Just let that sink in.

  25. See, proof the glock is an unloved hunk of plastic with no soul. If it was a 1911 it never would have been left behind. 😉

  27. I like to hang hang my belt on the handicap bar or toilet paper dispenser and have my firearm holstered and on the belt. That way nobody can peek at my pants and see it plus I’m not going to forget my belt and gun hanging there in plain sight whilst my pants fall down.

  29. Oh, sure, and meanwhile, we the people, are the ones the nanny state is trying to disarm?
    How does one miss not having their gun poking them in the side, low back, appendix, or armpit? It’s one of the unavoidable realities of carrying a firearm,…there is no system that doesn’t affect your physical comfort….at least none that I have found. Not enough to not realize you aren’t carrying it.

  30. “Maybe part of the reason the gyrocopter wacko who landed outside the capitol wasn’t shot down is that no one who was in charge of security could locate their weapon…”

    I’m pretty sure the reason is that they would have had to suffer months of CNN coverage asking why on earth they shot down a harmless geriatric riding a gyro-toy.

  31. “Hey we’re all professionals here” says unknowingly unarmed police officer.

    Seriously, I really would love for a PO who left his gun in a stall to need it and reach for air.

  34. So some wacko might find one and shoot of few of the politicians? Is there a downside here I’m not seeing? :p

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