Washington State Patrol conducts cack-handed investigation into missing rifle

[Euromutt]

KIRO: "Washington State Patrol Investigation Into Missing Gun Irks Dealers" http://www.kirotv.com/news/27301233/detail.html
The Olympian: "State Patrol efforts to recover missing gun stir anger" http://www.theolympian.com/2011/03/23/1590416/state-patrols-efforts-to-recover.html

Long story short: while running an inventory check, the WSP found that an AR-type rifle was missing. So they sent a letter to every gun dealer in the state asking for any and all documents pertaining to sales of AR-type rifles since last July, including "names, date of births, addresses, phone numbers, date of transaction and serial number from the purchaser." The WSP refused to specify the make, model and serial number of the firearm of the missing AR, so they're casting an awfully wide net.

Various parties have speculated about this being an underhanded attempt to create an "assault weapons" registry, and while I seriously doubt that that was the WSP's intent, it is undeniable that gathering this sort of information would allow some unscrupulous individual within the organization to make a start on such a thing. The Olympian quotes an employee from my former favorite gun shop, J&S Gun Parts in Oly, as remarking that it would have been a damn sight simpler (and I might add, come off as less sinister) if the WSP had provided the unique identifying information of the missing rifle and asked specifically about that.

[BrookBrew]

1. Start with their people

then write it off. They are probably dont have the SN and manufacturing data, whoops.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

2. Very poorly handled by the WSP

it must be yet another really embarrassing loss.

[benEzra]

3. Methinks someone at the WSP was under the mistaken impression

that AR-15 sales are rare, rather than the AR being the top selling civilian centerfire rifle in the United States.

That would be roughly like trying to track down a stolen Camry by knocking on the door of every Toyota owner in the state, regardless of year or model.

[ileus]

4. Stolen SN would have been flagged in a legal sale. No need....

for them to have a list of any legal AR sales anywhere.

[Glassunion]

5. I think the next headline we see will look like...

NRA bullies State Patrol. Blocks their efforts to recover missing AK47 machine gun.

[one-eyed fat man]

6. That is curious.

Doesn't the Washington State Policy have a property book? Every time I was issued a government owned weapon I had to sign for it. Copies of the unit level inventory were many places. If anything turned up missing, there was no doubt the nomenclature and serial number were on record.

If the WSP is unable to say more than "we lost a gun" then their supply and property management procedures are pitifully inadequate.

Why would they just not send out an inquiry that said, "In conjunction with an investigation would you please check your records and determine if an 'Lost Gun Model' serial number 'RULOST2' has gone through your bound book since 'the date we last for sure knew where the thing was'?

I doubt it's a conspiracy to get an assault weapon registry. Conspiracies require initiative. Something I have always noted as lacking in the type of indolent bureaucratic drone that gravitates to being a supply officer. Think of Quartermaster Bloomfield, whose obsession in accounting for every cartridge and shell became forever legendary at Isandlwana on January 22, 1879.

[jeepnstein]

7. Was it a semi, or a full-auto?

Lots of police departments, especially state police agencies, gravitate towards full-auto. If that's the case I can be pretty sure an FFL wouldn't touch said rifle with a ten foot pole. WSP needs to be more forthcoming with information if they want the public's help on this one.

[Kennah]

9. It appears there were private not LE sales, so it would have to be semi-autos

[Euromutt]

10. The articles say semi-auto

Your bog-standard "patrol rifle" in other words. Automatic weapons are illegal to own privately in Washington anyway.

[jeepnstein]

11. They're looking at semis

The article was a bit more fuzzy on what the missing rifle in question is. No mention of the make, model, or anything else. That leads me to believe they don't want to say what was actually lost.

[Remmah2]

8. Did the ATF send it to Mexico? nt

nt

[catenary]

12. Not only simpler, but possibly even -effective-

:eyes: