Who Guards the Guards: 200,000 Rounds of Ammunition Missing From Memphis PD
Either someone did a lot of shooting, or else someone has made off with a lot of ammo. We’re not talking about a few boxes either. According to The Memphis Commercial Appeal, “up to 200,000 rounds of ammunition are missing from the Memphis Police Department Training Academy’s Firearms Training Unit, and officials want to know what happened to the ammo.”
We would like an answer too, and would once again like to remind anyone who only thinks the police should have guns of what this could mean. Bad cops could be arms – and ammo – suppliers to the bad guys.
Guns Melted Down in Memphis
This week The Commercial Appeal noted the following:
“With an enormous circle of flames shooting up Thursday from a steel mill furnace in Memphis, 57 crime guns melted away.”
While it is worth pondering over what history and collectible items may have been destroyed, the paper noted this likely wasn’t the case, adding:
“…a new state law requires that law enforcement agencies sell or trade the guns unless they are unsafe or inoperable.
“Shelby County Sheriff Mark Luttrell met with the media at Nucor to see the 57 guns deemed inoperable or unsafe destroyed, with the blessing of Criminal Court judges. Luttrell did not criticize the new law.”
No doubt there will be those who still criticize the idea that something “usable” is actually sold by the police!
Guns Could End up in a Criminal’s Hands Again Say Some
After learning that two firearms used in recent crimes were sold by the police in Memphis, Channel 8 Volunteer TV offered a rather biased take on it. Here is one quote:
“Knoxville resident Nicholas Tate said, ‘It really doesn’t make a lot of sense to me for us to confiscate a gun from a criminal, then resell it. That could potentially end up in the hands of a criminal again.’”
Where does the “potentially” come in? If the gun is legally sold, it potentially could be bought by a law-abiding citizen and used in self-defense or just for target shooting too.
But the article also includes this opinion from the reporter:
“You might be shocked to learn this practice is not only legal, but is mandated by Tennessee state law.”
Why shocked? That a police department might sell perfectly good items and raise money instead of raising taxes? Shocked indeed.
Memphis Gifts for Guns Nets 160 Firearms
According to the mainstream media there are 160 less firearms in Memphis, and according to The Commercial Appeal this included some 111 handguns – with the numbers broken down to include two derringers! Really, derringers? Are riverboat gamblers and saloon prostitutes the type of criminals that need to be relieved of firearms?
In a follow up story, also from The Commercial Appeal it was sadly noted that these firearms would likely be destroyed:
“The police department will check to see if the guns have been used in crimes. Those guns will become evidence. The rest will be destroyed.”
It was noted that many of the guns were inherited, and that some were truly unique, such as one that was believed “to be a World War I Russian-made pistol.” For the record, that firearm could have been sold to a collector or donated to a museum. Instead the previous owner was given a gift care worth $100.
If someone was given $10,000 for an house that was torn down, there would be outrage. It is a shame this type of interest in history and preservation doesn’t include firearms.
