“We don’t like any stolen firearms being on the streets. We want to get this rifle back for the Howey-in-the-Hills Police Department as quickly as possible.” – Lake County, Florida Sgt. Jim Vachon in Deputies: M16 rifle, ammunition stolen from police vehicle in Lake County [via wftv.com]

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43 COMMENTS

  1. So why don’t you fools properly secure your longarms in the vehicles to begin with? Use a lock box in the trunk for these things. That’s what we used when I was working the streets.

  2. “Though the vehicle was locked, it’s unknown if the case containing the gun was locked, Vachon said. But he said the weapon was stored in accordance with department policy.”

    Baisically means it was unsecured, “in accordance with department policy “.

    • Should have been locked in a heavy steel plate compartment bolted down in the trunk with an alarm system. A locked storage case can be stolen and then easily sawed open by the average thief.

      • When a $1.00 pocket knife can cut your rifle out of its case, it was never ‘secure’.

  3. Reading the article, apparently department policy is to leave the rifle in the passenger compartment of the police car when parked overnight at the officer’s home.

    I can see the policy of leaving it in the passenger compartment, locked, during times when the officer is on duty but out of the vehicle. But overnight? At home? When the bad guys have a pretty good assurance of not having the officer come by and surprise them in the middle of the action?

    Does anyone seriously believe leaving anything of value in a vehicle overnight is a good idea? The thieves are still guilty, but why make it easier for them?

    • “But overnight? At home? When the thrives have a pretty good assurance of not having the officer come by and surprise them in the middle of the action?”

      I have heard from a roommate of a local LEO that the officer left the patrol car unlocked with a shotgun ‘secured’ in that vertical rack on the hump.

      According to the roomie, (not my roomie) the car was left unlocked so the officer could get in it a few seconds faster if called out via their radio.

      In years past I have heard some cops won’t use seatbelts, thinking it will slow them down getting out of the cruiser, I don’t know how common that is today, though.

      I survived a head-on, no way in hell can you keep me from using seatbelts…

      • To this day I have to threaten my Deputy friend to put on his seat belt when riding with me. That is his excuse for not wearing a seat belt.

        • And it is a poor one. The number one cause of death and injury to officers in the line of duty is traffic accidents.

      • “In years past I have heard some cops won’t use seatbelts, thinking it will slow them down getting out of the cruiser, I don’t know how common that is today, though.”

        Depends where you are and the departmental culture. In some hoods being able to get out of your car or move if shot at may be more important than protection in a low-speed crash. Where I am the practice is to wear them and take them off as you approach a scene.

    • If it’s truly an M16, then yes. The picture is a little grainy, but it almost looks like the auto-sear pin is there.

    • Article referenced an M16-A2, which (if correct) would indicate a 3-shot burst capability.

      • Technically speaking, that’s maybe what the lower receiver is but the rest of that setup is not an A2.

        • Correct. If a department gets rifles through a DOD “Give us Free Stuff” program, it is delivered in its original, unmodified configuration, but the first thing most departments do is get somebody to mod the hell out of it.

          I’m assuming they have the model correct because it would be stamped on the lower, and that’s the only way most departments OR media hacks would know that it is an M16-A2 (to read it off the side of the receiver).

        • Looks like a 11.5 commando upper with .625 gas block. Based on barrel diameter in front of FSB and flash suppressor diameter compared to barrel. So it could be an original upper lower match. I think the lowers for the colt commandos where labled A2. I could be wrong.

  5. Paracord one-point sling? Check. Aimpoint? Check. Magpul grip, stock, mag coupler and RBUS? Check. Gun light with remote switch? Check. Cheese grater handguard? Check. A BBC VFG? Check.
    This is legit. Operator as f*ck…except for the leaving it unsecured overnight in a vehicle parked outside your house part, anyway. What a dumbass.

      • The real point is taxpayer money is paying for all the ballistic goodies that are then treated like crap by our boys in blue.

        • Often the department issues the gun, but the gun in question has to pay for extra operator-ness.

        • Hogue finger-grooves are deep; that one looks to have shallow grooves. Hogue is flat-backed, that one is arched.

          I’d say Ergo, except the base looks to be flat, and most of the Ergos have a curved base; however, the sling is partially blocking view of the base of the grip, so it might be curved. If the base of the grip is flat and parallel to the bore (as it appears in the photo), that would greatly reduce the number of potential matches.

          Best I can do with that photo, I think.

    • Autoplay video states “gun similar to this photo”. So lets hope Officer Operator is not operating operationally with issued equiptment.

      • The department may have several setup the same for training purposes. You can’t take a pic of the stolen one.

    • I’ve never seen the point in these handguards that could literally grate your hands like cheese. I suppose if you’re going to attach and always use a foregrip it doesn’t matter. Either that or always wear your tactical gloves. I guess I’m just not very operator.

  7. If this lower is an M16-A2 lower it makes me sick. Police are not military and should not have weapons other citizens aren’t allowed to own. It was in the Heller opinion m16 rifles are for military use and not for civilians. Police aren’t military and it’s illegal for military to be used against US citizens on US soil. What are police departments doing with weapons like this?

    • This is why we need to repeal the Hughes Amendment so new full-autos can be purchased again. The 2nd. Amendment provides for the private ownership and possession of military-grade small arms. This amendment (or Act) which is entirely unconstitutional, provides for LEO ownership of military-grade small arms.

    • Calm down; it’s just a tool.

      In the hands of an untrained/poorly-trained person, the burst function just means they will empty the magazines 3 times faster than a semi, and the burst ratchet screws with the semi-auto trigger pull so badly that it makes it a challenge to hit with even in “Semi” mode.

      Nothing magical here.

      • To the cops, it’s just a tool.

        To the thug who stole it, it’s a more dangerous tool.

        Seriously, there is no reason for law enforcement to possess select fire rifles.

    • “It was in the Heller opinion m16 rifles are for military use and not for civilians.”

      No it wasn’t.

  8. I looked up Howa in the Hills, its a town of about 1,300 in the burbs of Orlando. PD consists of 5 full time officers and 6 reserve. Why do they need M-16s?

  9. So taking guns away from law abiding citizens will definitely keep guns out of the hands of criminals, except those criminals that steal them from the police….

    • When/if SHTF, that will be even easier, since bad guys will simply shoot LEOs to get their milspec weapons. Does not appear to me to be a smart way to run your program, carrying around valuable unobtainium.

      Also, I did not see the evidence that the officer involved did not *sell* the weapon and then report it stolen, as is common practice in too many countries to mention, including one which borders our own. Whatever, any officer who loses a gun in any way should go the rest of his LE career without it.

      • You’re far too kind.

        I’d tell ’em they can come back to work when they cough up that gun.

        That exact gun, serial number included…

  11. Is anyone else reminded of George Carlin talking about how, the night before he flies, “just as the moon is rising” he leaves his luggage unattended on a street corner for several hours? You know, just for good luck?

  12. Whats scary is that i see this happening very easily. The guy who stole it probably just snatched it out of the cops car while he wasnt looking.

    At the wawa gas station where I live, cops regularly get sandwhiches and coffee there and just hang out around by the sandwhich counter for long periods of time. Theres always 2 or more cops parked there. Several times Ive seen officers go into the gas station with their cars still running, windows down, with their laptops, shotguns and ARs propped up between the two front seats just waiting to get stolen. Im really surprised no ones ever just jumped into one and driven off with the whole squad car.

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