ATF investigates police
A letter from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to law enforcement agencies across Southern California warning about an emerging problem of officers engaging in unlicensed firearms sales came just weeks after a Pasadena police officers home was searched and guns seized.
The March 31 letter from Eric Harden, the ATFs Los Angeles Field Division special agent in charge, said the agency has discovered officers buying and then reselling handguns without a federal firearms license. That violates federal gun laws.
The ATF letter, first reported by The San Diego Union-Tribune, came after a Feb. 16 search of the home of a high-ranking Pasadena police officer. News reports at the time said several large gun cases were removed from the officers Sierra Madre home and loaded into ATF vehicles.
There’s a market for off roster guns (those are guns not OK to buy because the state says so) and the police appear to be filling that market. I don’t think the ATF guy is right about violating federal gun laws. You can re-sell a gun. I suppose he did enough volume that it was a business. Also, it’s California and their laws are wonky.
April 17th, 2017 at 5:48 pm
“The locals are selling off-roster guns? Shut them down, we have to protect our territory!”
April 17th, 2017 at 6:09 pm
Before I left CA I saw a buddy of mine get asked if he would do this. He said he was too afraid of it being considered a straw purchase, to the point of not being willing to sell his vp9, even when it started having cycling issues that he didn’t want fixed.
April 17th, 2017 at 8:32 pm
“Capitalism sees government controls as damage and reroutes around it.” – Uncle (Loosely quoted)
April 17th, 2017 at 10:51 pm
Here in Californistan some people are a lot more equal than others. Police can buy whatever they want whether it’s for work or personal use. Every gun store has an LE only section. It’s complete bullshit. But as the saying goes “Laws are for little people”.
April 17th, 2017 at 11:08 pm
qmony, slavery in the United States was abolished by the 13th and 14th Amendments overturning the 1857 SCOTUS Dred Scott decision. One of the well-known provisions of the 14th is “the equal protection of the laws”, but obviously lawmakers in your State still hold to the vestiges of slavery. The majority opinion of SCOTUS kept black people as slaves lest they exercise their 2nd Amendment rights to “go armed everywhere they went” thus endangering “the public safety”. The slave masters are still in high places passing their laws. It’s unfortunate that you live in a slave state.
April 18th, 2017 at 4:00 pm
Ron W. Equal protection is a myth. 🙁 One exception that the courts have upheld is different laws based on government service (veterans and cops getting different legal protections, for example).
April 18th, 2017 at 9:43 pm
@DocMerlin, yes, I agree. Government exempts itself (officials and agents) from laws and judges make rulings in violation of the Law even though the Constitution says “judges shall be bound thereby” (Article VI, Section 2).