Baggage handler steals officer's gun from luggage

[JJVP]

A baggage handler at O’Hare International Airport is accused of stealing a Chicago Police officer’s gun that was checked in during a flight the officer had been on.

A good candidate for the Mensa Club, NOT.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/loca ... 8856.story" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[urnoodle]

I've thought about future travel with a firearm several times but this is probably the main reason why I wouldn't. The firearm inside label placed on luggage by the airline or tsa makes that bag an easy mark. This shows how lax security is for airline staff, he was able to leave the airport with it.

[A-R]

Guy is an idiot, no doubt. But what's almost equally asinine is the laundry list of charges ...

has been charged with unlawful use of a weapon, aggravated concealment of a weapon, possession of ammunition without a valid FOID card and failure to possess a FOID card

Lazy prosecutors apparently aren't even charging him with the theft (which would take at least some investigation to prove). Instead they just stick him with violating every bogus anti-2A law they have.

Come on AGGRAVATED concealment of a weapon? Was he agitated when he shoved that gun into his pocket?

[Dave2]

Guy is an idiot, no doubt. But what's almost equally asinine is the laundry list of charges ...

has been charged with unlawful use of a weapon, aggravated concealment of a weapon, possession of ammunition without a valid FOID card and failure to possess a FOID card

Lazy prosecutors apparently aren't even charging him with the theft (which would take at least some investigation to prove). Instead they just stick him with violating every bogus anti-2A law they have.

Come on AGGRAVATED concealment of a weapon? Was he agitated when he shoved that gun into his pocket?

Maybe he aggravated his pants.

[Keith B]

It is actually aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, which was the statute he vioolated by comcealing it

[Dave2]

It is actually aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, which was the statute he vioolated by comcealing it

Which statute did he violate by stealing it? Because that seems like a slightly larger issue...

[Keith B]

I'm gonna bet he was charged with theft too, but if the meda got the others wrong, then they probably just didn't list them all.

[bayouhazard]

If they're going to steal guns, there's a sick kind of poetic justice to take them from cops in jurisdictions that want to take our guns.

[A-R]

It is actually aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, which was the statute he vioolated by comcealing it

Which statute did he violate by stealing it? Because that seems like a slightly larger issue...

My point exactly.

[RoyGBiv]

I've thought about future travel with a firearm several times but this is probably the main reason why I wouldn't. The firearm inside label placed on luggage by the airline or tsa makes that bag an easy mark. This shows how lax security is for airline staff, he was able to leave the airport with it.

I've never had my bag tagged on the outside.
The card has always gone inside my luggage, but outside the locked gun container.
I've also never been asked to open the locked container. The TSA screener can see the gun in the x-ray machine.
The only people that knew I was checking a gun were the ticket agent and the TSA screener, AFAIK.
I suppose if the TSA screener conveyor belt sends bags down a special chute, the handler picking them off the chute knows there's something special about the bag, but that could just as easily have been something other than a weapon check bag...

Go figure.

[i8godzilla]

I've thought about future travel with a firearm several times but this is probably the main reason why I wouldn't. The firearm inside label placed on luggage by the airline or tsa makes that bag an easy mark. This shows how lax security is for airline staff, he was able to leave the airport with it.

The last time I checked a bag containing my the firearm declaration document was placed inside the bag. This was on AA about 11 months ago. Other than the standard checked bag tag there was noting on the outside of the bag to indicate that there was a firearm inside. Maybe the agent at PBI made a mistake but IDK. I also used a lock-box (do not know the brand name) that had a cable that I was able to secure to the metal frame of the roll-about bag. (I use the same box in my car and secure it to the seat mounting bracket.) I do not believe that it would stop a determined thief but would--at the very least--be a deterrent to a quick theft.

Guy is an idiot, no doubt. But what's almost equally asinine is the laundry list of charges ...

has been charged with unlawful use of a weapon, aggravated concealment of a weapon, possession of ammunition without a valid FOID card and failure to possess a FOID card

Lazy prosecutors apparently aren't even charging him with the theft (which would take at least some investigation to prove). Instead they just stick him with violating every bogus anti-2A law they have.

Come on AGGRAVATED concealment of a weapon? Was he agitated when he shoved that gun into his pocket?

It may be hard to prove that he actually stole the gun. Do airports have cameras in the baggage areas? I agree, why bother with investigation it takes energy. They should have least charged hie with possession of stolen property.

[Crossfire]

Apparently, theft is so common in Chicago that they don't even prosecute for it anymore. Possessing a firearm, on the other hand - well, that there is SERIOUS stuff!