If The NYPD Is Losing Track Of Guns, Then Comptroller Bill Thompson Wants To Know Where They Are

Comptroller Thompson stopped by to discuss a new audit his office conducted regarding the NYPD. His study found poor controls over weapons in its custody – with many of them initially missing. Not a great sign for cutting crime in NYC if one of the biggest problem we face is cops losing track of the confiscated guns.

In the press release about the audit, Thompson states: “It’s disgraceful that the NYPD has let its weapons go AWOL. We found a stunning lack of organization, order and control. When it came to storing weapons, the NYPD simply wasn’t up to the task.”

“After my auditors discovered an alarming number of guns gone missing, my auditors returned repeatedly – and the weapons mysteriously materialized. The fact that all of this took place at the NYPD’s main headquarters at One Police Plaza was even more disturbing.”

However, with the mayoral election is coming up in 2009 & with Thompson a likely candidate, one might find the timing of this audit suspiciously political, since it casts a shadow over Police Commissioner Kelly, who while claiming no interest, is still leading in mayoral polls.

WATCH THE VIDEO & MORE INFO AFTER THE JUMP...

The study found:

Manhattan PCD officials could not immediately account for or retrieve from their designated storage 94 (29%) of the 324 sampled firearms. Several attempts were made over a number of weeks before the weapons eventually were “found”.

The Manhattan PCD failed to record pertinent information in its documents that would permit it to readily track and account for the firearms in its custody. The logbooks often were incomplete.

Firearms were kept by the Manhattan PCD office longer than required by NYPD regulations, which require that weapons be reclaimed or disposed of after the expiration of one year.

While handguns were stored in brown manila envelopes and on shelves, rifles were tossed about on the floor and piled on top of one another in a disheveled manner (even though they are supposed to be tagged with storage numbers and associated invoice numbers and stored on assigned shelves).