Cops Red Faced After Own Undercover Car Stolen

[Accremonious]

http://www.citynews.ca/images/2007-01/jan1907-halton_cruiser.jpg
Monday September 24, 2007
CityNews.ca Staff

You know who to call if someone steals your car. But who do cops call when one of their cruisers goes missing? That's the embarrassing dilemma facing Halton Regional Police after someone made off with one of their unmarked vehicles in Hamilton overnight. The great car caper wasn't discovered until Monday morning.

It didn't look much like an official vehicle from the outside and could easily have fooled a crook. But inside, it was obvious what it really was. The interior contained a Halton Police-issued 40-calibre Beretta pistol and some ammunition, a canister of pepper spray, a pair of handcuffs, a bullet-proof vest, a police radio and five black T-shirts with Halton Police markings.

So instead of you looking to them, cops are now looking to you as they hunt for the mystery motorist who took the car in the first place There's no word on how the thief managed to get into the vehicle, but authorities are on the lookout for a four-door, grey 2004 Buick Century with license plate AVYS 120.

If you see it, let some irate officers know at (905) 825-4747.

File photo

[buzzy]

I want to know WHY this stuff was left in an unattended police vehicle?


The interior contained a Halton Police-issued 40-calibre Beretta pistol and some ammunition, a canister of pepper spray,

[Accremonious]

It would appear that the "Safe Storage" provisions of the new gun control act has been ignored and violated! Not a very good practice or position for the Police Service to be in, I would say!

[Accremonious]

UPDATE:
Police Recover Own Stolen Car But Not Its Contents
Wednesday September 26, 2007
CityNews.ca Staff

It was one of their most embarrassing cases - and it's not over yet. Authorities have located a missing squad car that was stolen from a Halton police officer's driveway in Dundas, Ontario over the weekend.

Cops put out an APB for the unmarked four-door, grey 2004 Buick Century, which didn't look like anything special from the outside. But in this case, it's what's inside that counts.

A local resident spotted the missing vehicle not far from its original location on Tuesday, but when cops arrived they were dismayed to discover the contents had been pilfered. The car contained a canister of pepper spray, a pair of handcuffs, a bullet-proof vest, a police radio and five black T-shirts with Halton Police markings.

But the most valuable possession is also the most worrisome. There was also a police-issued 40-calibre Beretta pistol and some ammunition stored in the interior. Authorities are worried that if it falls into the wrong hands, a gun meant to stop crime could wind up being used to commit one instead. And they've vowed to hunt for it whatever it takes.

There are still no leads in the case, and investigators admit there was no forced entry. They're at a loss to explain how the thief got into the car and drove it away.
END OF QUOTE:

Since there is no sign of forced entry, I wonder if this is an "inside job"?!