Rifle stolen out of San Jose assistant police chief's unmarked car
Rifle stolen from San Jose assistant police chiefs car
A rifle was stolen from the assistant San Jose Police Chiefs unmarked car that was parked outside their home this week. No suspects have been arrested and the weapon is still out there.
SAN JOSE, Calif. - The San Jose Police Department is searching for a firearm stolen from the assistant police chief's unmarked police car. The assistant chief noticed the theft early Tuesday, officials say.
On Tuesday morning, SJPD responded to the assistant chief's residence in South San Jose after a report of a car burglary.
San Jose Police Department
Firearm stolen from police car
What we know:
The suspect or suspects broke into the unmarked car the night before and stole a firearm that was locked in a mounted safe inside the car.
The police car was parked outside Assistant Police Chief Ali Miri's home. The chief reportedly sent out a department-wide notice acknowledging the theft.
"The investigation is still ongoing and active, so we have no new details to share at this time," said Stacie Shih with the San Jose Police Department.
No suspects have been identified.
San Jose police press briefing on three incidents
An official with the San Jose Police Department gave an update on a residential burglary thats ended in an arrest and the victims dog still missing, an armed carjacking that involved three suspects with one still outstanding and a fatal car versus pedestrian crash with the pedestrian being pronounced dead.
Dig deeper:
Sources describe the weapon as a Patrol SBR, or short barrel rifle similar to this.
Law enforcement analyst and former SJPD officer Michael Leininger says weapons are supposed to be stored in your trunk if possible, in some sort of secure box with a substantial lock.
"If, in fact, these thieves were able to remove this weapon from that secure environment, then it wasn't really a secure environment," Leininger said. "Is it attached with a nut and bolt, is it welded, how heavy is it, how secure is the lock? But clearly, this incident indicates whatever the police department used in this instance did not cut it."
Leininger says there should be a sense of urgency in the department now; both to recover the weapon, and also to understand how this could have happened.
"I think the policies and procedures…this is a great opportunity to revisit those, but in the interim, that weapon is out on the street.
San Jose Police Department
The Source: San Jose Police Department