23 Handguns Stolen After Store Cancels Burglar Alarm

[gun-fucious]

23 Handguns Stolen After Store Cancels Burglar Alarm
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A5614-2003Feb26.html

Thursday, February 27, 2003; Page GZ14


Twenty-three handguns were stolen from Galyan's sporting goods store in Gaithersburg over the weekend after management at the store failed to respond to a burglar alarm, police said.

The weapons, mostly Glocks and Berettas, were snatched from a display case and storage room about 11:50 p.m. Saturday, police said. A burglar alarm went off, but it was canceled by the store's management because of previous false alarms that evening. Employees discovered the weapons were missing the next morning.

Police said the suspects entered the store in the Rio Washington Center through glass doors on the upper parking deck of the complex.

The Montgomery County Firearms Task Force is investigating.

-- Fredrick Kunkle

 

[Marko Kloos]

Montgomery County seems to have more than its shares of dim bulbs.

 

[Ed Brunner]

Insurance

?

 

[OF]

Trigger "false" alarms a few times in one night, then hit it for real.

Wasn't that in a movie somewhere?

- Gabe

 

[gun-fucious]

if my Tin Foil hat was not aligned, i might be paranoid enough to suspect enemy action:

HOUSE BILL 178
http://mlis.state.md.us/2003rs/billfile/hb0178.htm

Entitled:
Regulated Firearms - Dealers - Security Standards for Places of Business
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Synopsis:

Requiring the Secretary of State Police or the Secretary's designee to adopt standards to ensure that the place of business of a dealer in regulated firearms is operated in a secure manner; authorizing the Secretary or designee to require a dealer to install specified devices and to conduct a regular inventory; and making specified licensees subject to license suspension or revocation.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<

SENATE BILL 634

http://mlis.state.md.us/2003rs/billfile/sb0634.htm

Entitled:
Public Safety - Task Force to Study Breaking and Entering of Shops Engaged in the Retail Sale of Guns
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Synopsis:

Establishing a Task Force to Study Breaking and Entering of Shops Engaged in the Retail Sale of Guns; specifying the membership and duties of the Task Force; requiring the Governor to appoint a chairman; providing for staffing of the Task Force; providing that a member of the Task Force may not receive compensation but may receive a specified reimbursement; requiring the Task Force to provide a report to the Governor and the General Assembly on or before a specified date; and providing for the termination of the Act.

 

[Standing Wolf]

I'm sure the story is a complete fabrication, since Maryland already has some of the most draconian leftist extremist so-called "gun control" laws in the nation to protect its subjects from stolen firearms. </sarcasm>

 

[Kharn]

It couldnt have happened! The burglars were not "not disapproved" by the MD State Police!

Kharn

 

[Leatherneck]

gun-fucious

Wow. Good catch. You don't suppose that one of the liberal PG County sponsors of those bills would happen to "know a guy" who could pull this off, lending instant real-time support for his bill, do you?

TC
TFL Survivor

 

[gun-fucious]

ya never know Leatherneck,
those PG county legislators do tend to run Bail Bonding operations on the side

I have wondered when Galayans was going to get "discovered" selling guns within X yards of a public meeeting place...

i stopped by Galayans today
they had 4 HKs, 3 Glocks and a few S&Ws
The number of available OTC pre 2003 guns in MC county was reduced due to the theft.

Those HKs were there last month

I guess the bangers in DC ordered Glocks

 

[Blackhawk]

Insurance
?

I doubt it, Ed. Their policy (assuming they have one) probably requires the alarm, and you're required under almost all insurance policies and laws to mitigate your damages. For example, if you notice a waste basket fire and have an easy opportunity to extinguish it and call the FD but don't do either, don't expect to collect on your fire policy.

Ignoring burglar alarms isn't really a viable option, IMO.

 

[Blackhawk]

Wasn't that in a movie somewhere?

Several times I think. Seems like a museum robbery in Paris was one of them....

 

[gun-fucious]

whats odd is that they left any handguns behind

maybe Galayans restocked from other stores
but the pistols i saw today looked like the previous inventory

 

[gun-fucious]

Two men arrested in Galyan's gun thefts
http://www.gazette.net/200312/gaithersburg/news/149054-1.html

by Sean Sedam
Staff Writer
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mar. 19, 2003

Two men face federal firearms charges in connection with the Feb. 22 theft from Galyan's sporting goods store of two dozen guns, many of which police believe were later sold on the streets of Washington, D.C.

Roland Alonzo Williams, 30, of the 1000 block of Consideration Lane in Landover and Samuel Bush Wright, 33, of the 1700 block of Gales Street in northeast Washington, were arrested Tuesday, said Officer Derek Baliles, Montgomery County police spokesman.

They could face multiple charges in multiple jurisdictions, he said.

The men were arrested after allegedly trying to steal guns from three other stores in the Washington metropolitan area. The arrests were announced in a county police press release Friday.

Prince George's County police arrested Williams at 9 a.m. March 11 as he was attempting to leave his home in his vehicle, Baliles said. He had one of the stolen guns in his waistband.

Members of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives arrested Wright at his home an hour later.

United States Marshals are holding the two at the federal courthouse in Greenbelt.

On Thursday, U.S. District Court Judge Jillyn K. Schulze ordered that the men be held there until their trial.

A preliminary hearing for Williams is scheduled for March 26. A hearing date has not yet been set for Wright.

The men, who were developed as suspects from video taken from store surveillance cameras, allegedly broke through the glass doors on the upper level parking deck of the Galyan's in Washingtonian Center at 11:49 p.m. Feb. 22, Baliles said.

A security alarm was activated, but was canceled by management because of prior false alarms that evening, he said.

Employees discovered the burglary at 10 the next morning.

The men allegedly stole 24 handguns -- including Glock, Beretta, Smith and Wesson and Ruger models -- from a display counter and storage room, Baliles said.

Police have recovered two of the handguns stolen from Galyan's: a .357 magnum Smith and Wesson revolver and a .40 magnum Glock pistol with a loaded magazine.

In tracking the suspects and questioning them after their arrests police believe the remaining 22 handguns were sold on the street in the District, Baliles said.

"There was a concern right from the beginning that these guns could fall into the hands of people who can't legally have them for one reason or another," he said.

Criminals may purchase guns on the street to avoid background checks conducted by licensed gun dealers, he said.

"There's nothing spectacular about these handguns," he said. "They're sold everywhere."

The Galyan's where the guns were stolen kept their serial numbers, which have been entered into a national database of stolen weapons, he said. The suspects could face charges in connection with any crimes committed using the guns.



_ _

 

[TallPine]

"There was a concern right from the beginning that these guns could fall into the hands of people who can't legally have them for one reason or another," he said.

Well, duh - like the guys that stole them, for instance.

The Galyan's where the guns were stolen kept their serial numbers, which have been entered into a national database of stolen weapons, he said.

Duh, again - all stores are required to log in the serial numbers as soon as the guns arrive in inventory.

 

[El Tejon]

As a former employee of Galyan's, this sounds about par for the course.

 

[sm]

quote:Trigger "false" alarms a few times in one night, then hit it for real.

Wasn't that in a movie somewhere?
----
Real life , happens all the time. Rash of false alarms once upon a time, I finally got a call from alarm co. I beat the cops(whom were still across town on false alarm) to find the entire safe gone! Backed a wrecker through front of business, smashing showcases, hook up safe and haul butt. Found safe 3 days later-empty.

Real Life: false "call" from alarm co, when its actually the BG's waiting for you to leave house, catch one in driveway, en-route, wait till you leave take family hostage...etc. Not all BG's totally stupid.

So call and confirm that alarm co did call, have a 'password". Have a "code" password in the event you have to call in presence of BG-but can still alert your in trouble. Not only for Business, but what if yur called at work that your home alarm has signaled.

Call Police/Sheriff to verify they have a unit on the way.

Life's lessons are less painless and costly if learned from someone's elses experience...