Assault Nets 215 Police Arms

A daring assault on a Traffic Police warehouse in the early hours of Monday morning netted three or four criminals an estimated more than 200 firearms, bullet-proof jackets and uniforms. Two privately-contracted guards were covered by guns, then tied up while the criminals went to work.

More stunning still was the declaration of the Ministry of Transport-contracted CSE private security firm that it was not even aware that the warehouse it was guarding contained firearms. Obviously, the criminals did.

First reports did not specify just how many of the around 200 arms in the warehouse were taken. Nor did they detail how many bullet-proof jackets were stolen.

Update: Tuesday's edition of La Nacion did not try to veil disgust at the blow to authority. The translated headline read, "Negligence at MOPT made possible the robbery of 215 Police Arms." MOPT is the acronym for the Ministry of Transport and Public Works that supervises the Traffic Police.

MOPT chief Francisco Jumenez  said that his ministry would conduct its own investigation and suggested that some heads could roll over the raid. He conceded that it was an "error" to hold the pistols in a warehouse instead of a well guarded armory.

CSE sales manager Selim Ramos told the newspaper La Nacion, "The facility did not have the kind of security appropriate for the kind of equipment it held, which we didn't know about. We were very surprised. The fact appears that it was well planned because the four armed men knew what they were looking for."

Although normally police arms are stored in locked strongrooms in safes, these were in sealed cardboard boxes and plastic wrapping. But Traffic Police director Cesar Quiros said the room had concrete walls and steel doors. The four criminals simply forced the door.

The 215 Glock 19, 9 m.m. pistols were awaiting registration by MOPT, and had not been issued to district stations where, presumably, they would have abided in safes. Monday evening, OIJ detectives searched several houses in the tough Leon XIII district. They did not find the stolen Traffic cop guns but they did confiscate 11 guns of different calibers.

Ramos said security was shared with another company that was charged with the construction under way in the Traffic Police building. The building also contained car batteries and office paperwork which did not interest the robbers.

Ministry of Security arms experts inspected the Traffic Police central armory (in a different site than the warehouse) last Sept. 7, reported La Nacion. They warned of deficiencies in security even there, especially since it had no concrete roof nor were the window bars reinforced. Quiros said the room was modified.

Commentary: Although it does not appear to be overly difficult for criminals to obtain firearms in this country, undoubtedly this is a police nightmare. More than the guns, the bullet-proof jackets are especially damaging -- being nearly the only advantage police have over violent criminals.

The loss of these items means their instant addition to the force of criminals on the street. After guns are lost to criminals, they may stay on the street for years and, if recaptured, it is usually after they have contributed to some tragedy. By then, it is too late.

The Austrian-made Glock  semi-automatic pistol is one of the best handguns in the world, light, powerful with a high rate of fire, as fast as the trigger can be pulled. Its light weight is partially due to its use of polymers (plastic) and this aids it to be highly resistant to corrosion, a definite plus in a tropical environment.

Today it has about 65% market share of U.S. law enforcement agenciy arms as well as figuring in the arsenals of 48 countries in their armed forces, law enforment and security agencies.