Audit by Long Beach police finds dozens of shotguns missing

[question everything]

Article Last Updated: 1/13/2006 12:36 PM

Audit by Long Beach police finds dozens of shotguns missing
Associated Press
Long Beach Press Telegram

LONG BEACH — The Police Department is trying to locate as many as 40 shotguns that turned up missing in an audit of its arsenal, officials said Friday. Police, however, had no evidence that any of the guns had fallen into the wrong hands.

"We believe that the weapons are still within the control of the Police Department," said a spokeswoman, Administrator Karen Owens. "We are making every effort to identify where the weapons are." "We are very confident this issue stems from poor record-keeping ... rather than someone coming in and taking these," she added.

The department, which has nearly 1,000 officers, launched an audit of its firearms inventory after complaints last year about a shortage of shotguns for duty. That survey, completed in December, concluded that 85 of the department's 272 shotguns could not be accounted for. Forty-five of those weapons have since been located, Owens said.

Some of the missing guns might have been cannibalized for parts to fix broken weapons, she said. Others could be scattered in department facilities, which are being checked.

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http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_3400368

[kurth]

1. Al-Qaeda took them! Where's the terror alert?