Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 9:13 pm
I agree.I would let it go. A box of hollow points 20-30 bucks. It's not worth the trouble, choose your battles wisely. Rico
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I agree.I would let it go. A box of hollow points 20-30 bucks. It's not worth the trouble, choose your battles wisely. Rico
Suit yourself, but if that was my ammo that was illegally being kept, I would be following the chain of command up from whoever told me that lie.ricor wrote:I would let it go. A box of hollow points 20-30 bucks. It's not worth the trouble, choose your battles wisely. Rico
srothstein wrote:I agree that you should choose your battles wisely, but I do not see this as a battle. The officer was wrong to keep the ammo.
The best way to handle this, IMHO, is to visit the Chief and ask him to clarify with the officers what the laws on weapons are. You could also ask the Chief if there is a policy on ammo, and again, ask for it to be explained to the officer. This way, you are assuming, and the Chief will be more likely to agree, that it was a misunderstanding and not a criminal act.
There are two reasons I say to do it this way. The first is the old saying: Never attribute to evil that which is explainable by stupidity. The officer may really have been a thief, or he could have recently moved down here from New Jersey and not yet realize our attitudes are very different. It truly could be an honest mistake.
Second, there is another old philosophy that you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. By assuming the innocent mistake, the Chief is not having the department look nearly as bad and is much more likely to be receptive to the discussion. If it turns out it was a mistake, you have contributed to improving the department through the education process. If it turns out to be a theft, the Chief will know and find out and be able to handle the situation. In the latter case, the Chief will let you know and ask for a formal complaint UNLESS the whole department is corrupt. There is a small possibility of this being true, but I would not want to bet on it being true.
I would be willing to make a bet that the officers in the suspected department have to buy their own bullets. I would also bet the officers use hollow points (therefore knowing that they are legal) I also would bet the ammo isn't in a property or evidence room.txinvestigator wrote:Someone has been reading specific statutes (dispossesed). lolseamusTX wrote:I agree. It may be department policy.txinvestigator wrote:Its quite a jump to assume he stole them.
But do you agree that, if this account is accurate, a citizen was dispossessed of his property for no legitimate reason?
- Jim
To answer your question; probably. Since there was nothing illegal about the bullets I can't see why they were not returned. That is why I suggested a visit to the Chief's office. ;)
Why would that be a "standard practice"?5111 wrote:I thought that it was standard practice to not return ammunition for any gun that was taken into "custody".
Hmmm . . . let's see . . . the ammunition was legal, so the officer took legally-owned property that wasn't his. Figuring theft is no jump at all, but a reasonable conclusion, assuming the post is accurate. (A police officer - a trained professional - in Texas knows that HP ammo is legal - unless he's got a double-digit IQ. In which case he shouldn't be a cop at all.)txinvestigator wrote:Its quite a jump to assume he stole them.HankB wrote:Sounds like some cop had an "Oh, gee, I can use these" moment.
I'd go back to the police station (or is the department big enought to have an IA office?) and file a formal complaint against the officer for theft. Nothing may come of it, but if enough of these accumulate in his jacket, it they may eventually come back and bite him.
Few things bother me more than crooked LEOs. (And the LEOs I know would agree.)And the LEOs I know would agree.
Few things bother me more than people who jump to conclusions.
+1txinvestigator wrote:It may be policy to destroy or not return ammo, I don't know. It sounds like someone who can't explain policy just made something up.
HP ammo is not illegal in Texas. He should go back and nicely ask to see or be referenced to said law, as he wants to be sure to comply. However, I would be asking in the Chief's office.
Thats an awfully big chip you have there.Liberty wrote:I would be willing to make a bet that the officers in the suspected department have to buy their own bullets. I would also bet the officers use hollow points (therefore knowing that they are legal) I also would bet the ammo isn't in a property or evidence room.txinvestigator wrote:Someone has been reading specific statutes (dispossesed). lolseamusTX wrote:I agree. It may be department policy.txinvestigator wrote:Its quite a jump to assume he stole them.
But do you agree that, if this account is accurate, a citizen was dispossessed of his property for no legitimate reason?
- Jim
To answer your question; probably. Since there was nothing illegal about the bullets I can't see why they were not returned. That is why I suggested a visit to the Chief's office. ;)