"Unlawful" destrution of firearms.

[jimmyraythomason]

Police departments in even (mostly) gun friendly states don't always wait on the wheels of justice to stop turning before taking it upon themselves to destroy seized firearms. Specifically done to prvent them from being returned to their rightful owners.

“There’s a chance a court could’ve ordered them given back,” he (JPD Chief Shane Fulmer) said

Witness this from Jemison,Alabama. <http://www.clantonadvertiser.com/2011/10/31/jpd-destroys-seized-guns/>

 

[merlinfire]

Yeah, well, if it was my gun, there's a better than average chance they'd be cutting me a check, too. And if it was irreplaceable? A family heirloom? I'd see em in court

 

[JustKen]

Unless they're needed for evidence or are illegal (sawed offs, etc.) our Sheriff auctions them off along with the rest of the nonreturnable property or items seized in evidence. I'm surprised more agencies don't do this. I

 

[Omaha-BeenGlockin]

If they break into your house ---shoot em with a Mossberg or Hi Point----then you won't have to worry about losing too much when you don't get it back.

 

[wannabeagunsmith]

THat is so stupid. Would they do the same to your car because it may be stolen and used in robberies?

 

[TexasRifleman]

Found this part of the story interesting:

“We took the extra initiative to have our court condemn the firearms,” Fulmer said. “Once they cleared the court process, we destroyed what we had.”

Doesn't sound like the court had any intention of returning them if they are the ones that gave permission for the destruction. So, don't just blame the PD, looks like there were lots of hands in this one.

 

[jimmyraythomason]

TexasRifleman did you miss this part of the story?

“There’s a chance a court could’ve ordered them given back,” he (JPD Chief Shane Fulmer) said

It is obvious he wasn't talking about the drug dealers they were taken from.

 

[TexasRifleman]

It is obvious he wasn't talking about the drug dealers they were taken from.

Well, the point is that the PD wasn't acting alone since they got a court to give them "permission" to destroy them. I'm not defending what they did, just saying that there were a lot of people involved besides the PD.

Since a court ordered it, it's going to be harder for anyone to sue I suspect.

 

[jimmyraythomason]

Since a court ordered it, it's going to be harder for anyone to sue I suspect.

Exactly! These firearms were condemned enmass by one judge(no doubt one sympatheic to the chief)not by the judges who ruled in the individual cases. It appears that no good faith effort was made to find the legitimate onwers of the guns. The Chief made sure that wasn't a possibility.

 

[Skribs]

Exactly! These firearms were condemned enmass by one judge(no doubt one sympatheic to the chief)not by the judges who ruled in the individual cases. It appears that no good faith effort was made to find the legitimate onwers of the guns. The Chief made sure that wasn't a possibility.

Why should the police do this with guns, when they don't do this with anything else stolen in a burglary? I've had my home broken into, and had some things stolen - mainly laptops, some jewelry, jars filled with coins, cameras, etc. The police just told us to collect insurance and replace what we lost.

 

[TexasRifleman]

Why should the police do this with guns, when they don't do this with anything else stolen in a burglary?

Same as always, publicity and fear mongering. Those "evil" guns.

And just up the road in South Carolina we have LE doing the exact opposite. I guess you never know where you'll find an anti, or an ally.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=623459

 

[orionengnr]

That Police Chief needs to be unemployed.
And whoever appointed him, likewise.

 

[jimmyraythomason]

That Police Chief needs to be unemployed.
And whoever appointed him, likewise.

In Alabama the Chief of Police is appointed by the mayor of the town(less than 25,000 pop.). In this case the mayor of Jemison,Al. is Eddie Reed.

 

[Twiki357]

It's standard procedure with LAPD (Los Angeles, CA) to destroy every gun they get their hands on. The only exceptions are a delay of destruction if it's evidence, or if the rightful owner can find out that a stolen gun(s) was recovered and can get a restraining order before it's destroyed and file a sucessful lawsuit. And even if LAPD recovers a stolen gun they will lie right to your face that they didn't, and, YES that's from personal experience and it's right in their written policy directives.

 

[amd6547]

Judging from what I have been told, in some cases, "destroyed" equals going into some cops personal collection.

 

[jimmyraythomason]

in some cases, "destroyed" equals going into some cops personal collection.

If so it is at a higher level than street cops. I don't think that happens nearly as much as it once did.

 

[P5 Guy]

What is the deal with Alabama? Still "May Issue" CCW? Destroy some stolen property?
I guess "keeping guns off the streets" means out of those people's hands?

 

[Tommygunn]

Technically "may issue" but I have never had any problem. I applied for a CCW and got it right away, no fuss, renewal by mail every year, nothing is easier including driver's license renewal.

 

[Hossfly68]

I guess I'm lucky. My Witness was stolen when they broke into my house. I searched pawn shops for 9 months for it, filed a police report, prayed, and everything. Gave up the search for my baby and bought a 1911. Three months later the Mobile county Sheriff's dept called and said they had recovered my pistol and I could come get it. Funny part about it though is that since my wife filed the report she had to reclaim my gun! The cops did remove and destroy the mag though! That ticked me off. How hard is it to strip out the bang makers and stick the mag back in the package with the gun?