The Miami Herald reports the city’s police department cannot account for “over two dozen” AR-15s.
According to the Herald, a total of 25 AR-15 rifles–which are “owned by the city of Miami Police Department”–cannot be found.
An internal memo was sent out yesterday alerting officers who may have the rifles that the firearms need to be returned by Monday.
The memo said, in part, “Effective Monday, May 17, 2021, these rifles will be reported stolen…You are hereby ordered to return it to the Quartermaster unit immediately. Failure to do so may expose you to criminal liability for possession of stolen property.”
The rifles were detected as missing following an inventory check by new Miami police chief Art Acevedo, formerly with the Houston Police Department.
Miami police spokesman Michael Vega said the inventory check was not unusual, “We do it with the cars. The chief told the quartermaster to send the note just because there are 25 officers who have to bring them back. You have to qualify to get one. But for some reason, they have not been accounted for.”
The Miami Herald editorial board responded to news of the missing AR-15s, allegedly taken by officers. The board cited the December 14, 2012, Sandy Hook Elementary School attack and the February 14, 2018, Parkland high school attack as reasons why the guns should be returned, and accounted for, as soon as possible.
AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.