Rifle Stolen From FP&L Nuclear Plant

[DoYouEverWonder]

March 2, 2006

HUTCHINSON ISLAND, Fla. -- A semiautomatic rifle and a thermal rifle sight were stolen from Florida Power & Light Co.'s St. Lucie Nuclear Plant, according to a sheriff's report.

The plant's head of security told a deputy that a supervisor noticed the Bushmaster M4-A3 .223-caliber rifle and the $11,000 accessory missing just after 8:00 p.m. on Feb. 21.

"We have extensive security measures in place at the plant ... multiple layers of security which include a highly trained and qualified security force," FPL spokeswoman Rachel Scott said Thursday. She declined to comment further.

<snip>

The weapon was last taken out of an unlocked but sealed storage box in April 2005 when it was fired at a range. No ammunition was stolen, the report said.

In April 2004, FPL officials removed six Wackenhut Corp. security guards at the St. Lucie plant after an audit found they skipped part of their rounds, taking shortcuts meant to detect and prevent fires.

http://www.wftv.com/news/7625801/detail.html


First of all, what the hell are they doing keeping a rifle with an $11,000 accessory at a Nuke Plant? Second, seems they have a serious security problem at this place? What a comfort, not.

[Richard Steele]

1. " multiple layers of security..."

"multiple layers of security which include
a highly trained and qualified security force,"

[Kagemusha]

2. The accessory is obviously the thermal sight from this article.

I guess there is such a thing as an 11k thermal sight. Not that I can claim to have tried one, far from it. But I can see why you'd want sch a thing for security at a nuclear plant.

Now, if someone working there decided that'd be awfully fun to use on a hunting trip... ugh

[Frustratedlady]

3. Anyone ask Cheney?

Maybe he's planning on hunting bear? Lawyers, beware!

[raccoon]

9. That was my first thought, too! nt

[RagingInMiami]

4. Florida Plunder and Loot

Just got looted.

[fknobbit]

5. Good grief!

The plant's head of security Mohammed Bin Lurkin told a deputy that a supervisor noticed the Bushmaster M4-A3 .223-caliber rifle and the $11,000 depleted Uranium accessory missing just after 8:00 p.m. on Feb. 21.
"We have extensive security measures in place at the plant ... multiple layers of security which include a highly trained and qualified security force," FPL spokeswoman Rachel Scott said Thursday That she and Hammed security, a UAE firm, were confident that the weapon and whatever else might be missing would be quickly returned, by the pranksters.
:hide:

[Endangered Specie]

6. You think they would have bothered to steal a GOOD gun

:evilgrin:

[seriousstan]

8. Actually, damn nice gun.

[enfield collector]

10. Should have had a FAL, 308 beats 223 anytime. Also someone

is inflating the cost of the NVG, none of them cost $11k unless you buy them at the $700 hammer store.

[seriousstan]

11. But the truth wouldn't have made such a nice story.

You know, this could have been one of those full auto revolvers shooting cop killing, teflon coated, full metal, hollow point wad cutters.

All jesting aside, I would still accept and treat as one of my own any weapon of this caliber I find in a blanket in a basket on my doorstep.

[Wcross]

12. It isn't night vision- It is a thermal imaging sight.

Big difference.

[jpak]

16. Thermal IS night vision mo' betta

and this thing is quite dangerous in the hands of evil doers....

[-..__...]

21. These things aren't cheap.

This one is being advertised at around the "$10K price tag".

http://www.imaging1.com/thermal/specterIR.html

The FD I work for has about 5 thermal imaging cameras for search and rescue work and for locating heat sources that aren't visible (behind walls, floors and ceilings).

They're so sensitive that a person can place their palm on a surface, hold it there for a few seconds, and the camera will pick-up the heat signature of the palm print... even minutes after the print was made. We've had them for at least 5-6 years, so I can't begin to imagine what the current IR sensing devices are like in terms of sensitivity, weight and size.

From what I've read, the next generation will be viewable in color as opposed to greyscale (by color I mean the actual color of the objects).

[Endangered Specie]

15. Plastic pea-shooter as far as I am concerned.

:P

[seriousstan]

18. Tell you what, go down range and say that.

I hunted with Cheney. :evilgrin:

[Wcross]

23. How about we face off at 1000 yards? (just kidding of course)

I will bring my M1a and you can have any .223 rifle you wish. Kind of puts a new perspective on it? I used to own an ar-15 but decided it wasn't much of a weapon. I have used the m-16 and it was a hell of a gun, in semi-auto it is worthless. I traded my ar in on a second M1a for the gun safe.

[htuttle]

7. Stealing the guard's gun?

That looks almost as bad as someone's alarm system getting stolen...

[speedingbullet]

13. Machine-guns

wasn't there a recent article about some nuclear power plant obtaining some really serious fire-power? Like those multiple barreled machine-guns that shoot lots and lots rounds per minute. Hope those don't turn up missing.

[drm604]

17. I remember that too.

I think there was a DU thread on it. It was some kind of big ass tripod mounted thing (you can tell I don't know much about guns) that could take out a mob storming the plant if I remember correctly.

[-..__...]

19. M134 Gatling Gun

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory plans to install high-powered machine guns over the next few months capable of hitting land vehicles or aircraft almost a mile away in the event of a terrorist attack.

Known as Gatling guns because they are multi-barreled, like their 19th-century ancestors, they simultaneously fire 7.62mm bullets from six barrels at up to 4,000 rounds per minute, powerful enough to take down an enemy aircraft or helicopter, officials said.

The guns will give the nuclear weapons lab greater ability to guard its huge cache of radioactive plutonium, said Linton Brooks, head of the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration, a quasi-independent agency that oversees the nation's nuclear weapons complex for the U.S. Department of Energy. The agency ordered the weapons.

"A lot of people are willing to die if they can kill lots of Americans ... You want to make clear that when they come here to die (by attacking the lab), they die for a failure," the blunt-speaking Brooks said at a press conference at Livermore on Thursday, where he unveiled one of the guns.

He said the guns will be operational later this year after the lab's guards are trained and the weapons and related equipment are purchased. Brooks insisted the Gatling gun purchase is unrelated to a recent announcement that the lab might double its supply of plutonium.

Lab officials said several Gatling guns will be deployed at the lab, some mounted on vehicles and others at undisclosed fixed locations, but for security reasons declined to say exactly how many or when.

Manufactured by Dillon Aero of Scottsdale, Ariz., the guns cost between $50,000 and $75,000, depending on accessories, and can unleash their barrage of bullets up to 1,500 meters or nearly a mile away.

Each gun gives Lawrence Livermore firepower equivalent to a dozen guards armed with the high-powered rifles they currently carry, said Robert Claire, the lab's armorer — the man in charge of its anti-terrorist weaponry.

Officials said, however, there are no plans to reduce the lab's security force, employed by Lawrence Livermore and UC, which runs the lab under contract with the Energy Department.




http://www.mindfully.org/Technology/2006/M134-Gatling-Livermore3feb06.htm




Now... how do I sign-up to be a security guard at Livermore? B-)

[MadHound]

14. Somehow I think that when this all settles out

They'll find that said rifle and scope are now in the pocession of one of their own employees, either a guard or some other plant worker.

As far as what they're doing with this 11k accessory, they are using it to provide security. All nuclear power plants have security guards and security plans in place in case of attack. While they were always pretty beefed up, since 911 they have become even more so, especially since the federal government is pumping them up with security grants.

[MadMaddie]

20. Perhaps they will find the weapon......

But I suspect that we are all going to be very dissapointed in the security when the truth comes out.

I think that most if not all of these sites will not be any more secure than they were 9/10...Maybe a little but not like we would think....


The * Cabal has shown that they really have not put any real effort into securing sites like this....Ammonia plants....railways that transport Ammonia....etc..

If Katrina showed us anything they are not prepared for anything....

[captain disgruntled]

22. Doesn't have to be top-of-the-line to make you dead....

John Allen Muhammad used a Bushmaster.

This is a point which doesn't get discussed a whole lot about gun control: my ex, a CID agent, once observed to me that something like 30% of weapons used by criminals have been stolen.