Gloucester - Thieves crack gun safe, steal multiple firearms

[76Too]

Liberty SafElerts.

Great product. Detects door opening and closing. Temperature and humidity. Movement. Sends alerts to your phone in seconds via your wireless network. It may or may not require an external antenna. One of my safes needs it, the does not.

can't believe i never knew about this...might have to invest to keep my mind at ease when i'm gone for extended periods of time.

thanks for the tip!

 

[ISOTOX]

Could be. I wish I could find "the online post" that the article refers to. I'm sure I know the guy from the range.

Cape Ann I suspect.

 

[DW357]

Cape Ann I suspect.

Yep

 

[Len-2A Training]

The ASSC dropped the ball and failed to file the appeal in time. At least that's the popular version of the story.

I got that exact story from Nancy Snow when she was Chief of Staff at GOAL. So that is the true story as far as I'm concerned.

Given what the kopsch seemed to tell the media, doesn't sound like it. Otherwise they would be saying nothing while they figure out how to prosecute the
gun owner.

-Mike

They said similar about the guy in lowell and proceeded to tear his life apart on other charges...

As TF says, first statement is no guarantee that the PD won't rake him over the coals on bogus charges or suspend/revoke his LTC.

Just saying... how did the thieves know there were guns in the house to begin with?

Very easy. Most people I know allow cleaning companies, various repair people, contractors, etc. free access to their homes with no consideration of OPSEC.

 

[uwaeve]

For a somewhat broader security perspective, one may consider one of these (or equivalent):

Nest Indoor Camera

Continuous recording and monitoring for a monthly fee. Can differentiate people from motion. Sends you an alert (and email if you want) if it sees motion, a person, power goes out, internet connectivity is lost, etc. In each case, sends a "last seen" picture like some idiot unplugging your camera. Video storage is cloud-based, so video up to any interruption is saved.

Any time anything happens near where guns are, I get an alert with a picture, and can check the app for a live view (including ability to talk through a speaker on the camera), or review any events for the past X days.

I think it's superior to something like the SafeElert. Not knocking it, but if I'm at work and get a notification that the safe was opened or moved, I don't know what I'd do. The camera, on the other hand, shows me what's going on (now and in the past), lets me talk to the room, and saves a continuous video feed.

 

[Daniel MacDonald]

Well that really sucks. Nice neighborhood that's not in the boonies. It's too bad none of the neighbors saw anything. But clearly the burglars were watching the place and waiting for the homeowners to leave for a while.

I hope they can get them back but I highly doubt it. Also curious to know what type of "gun safe" the owners had i.e. gun cabinet or an actual safe.

Thieves crack gun safe, steal multiple firearms

"Gloucester police are investigating a burglary in which one or more intruders allegedly stole a cache of firearms from a locked gun safe in a home last week.

Police Chief John McCarthy said Monday that detectives are looking into the apparent early-morning Friday break into a house on Juniper Road, located off Apple Street in the Wheeler's Point neighborhood. According to an online post by a family member of the victim, the thieves also made off with jewelry and computer equipment. But McCarthy said the stolen firearms are of special concern to police.

"We're always concern whenever firearms get out," McCarthy said, adding that all of the reportedly stolen guns were registered.

According to the online post, the missing weapons were a Sig 9-millimeter handgun, a Bushmaster AR rifle, a GSG 522, a Walther 22, a lever-action .45 long Colt, and Colt single-action copy in .45 long Colt.

McCarthy said the owners of the single-family ranch were not at home of the time of the break, but they had the guns safety stored and properly secured in a safe.

"The gun safe itself was broken into," McCarthy said.

Massachusetts State Police also responded to the scene and are investigating as well, McCarthy said.

Anyone with information on the break is encouraged to call the Police Department business line at 978-283-1212."

Well that really sucks. Nice neighborhood that's not in the boonies. It's too bad none of the neighbors saw anything. But clearly the burglars were watching the place and waiting for the homeowners to leave for a while.

I hope they can get them back but I highly doubt it. Also curious to know what type of "gun safe" the owners had i.e. gun cabinet or an actual safe.

Thieves crack gun safe, steal multiple firearms

"Gloucester police are investigating a burglary in which one or more intruders allegedly stole a cache of firearms from a locked gun safe in a home last week.

Police Chief John McCarthy said Monday that detectives are looking into the apparent early-morning Friday break into a house on Juniper Road, located off Apple Street in the Wheeler's Point neighborhood. According to an online post by a family member of the victim, the thieves also made off with jewelry and computer equipment. But McCarthy said the stolen firearms are of special concern to police.

"We're always concern whenever firearms get out," McCarthy said, adding that all of the reportedly stolen guns were registered.

According to the online post, the missing weapons were a Sig 9-millimeter handgun, a Bushmaster AR rifle, a GSG 522, a Walther 22, a lever-action .45 long Colt, and Colt single-action copy in .45 long Colt.

McCarthy said the owners of the single-family ranch were not at home of the time of the break, but they had the guns safety stored and properly secured in a safe.

"The gun safe itself was broken into," McCarthy said.

Massachusetts State Police also responded to the scene and are investigating as well, McCarthy said.

Anyone with information on the break is encouraged to call the Police Department business line at 978-283-1212."

 

[Daniel MacDonald]

Couple points here.....look on YouTube. You can peel back the side of a GOOD safe in 15 min. I have a friend who lives very close....police told him Daffy housewife had posted about them just getting to Florida on Facebook. Maybe using common sense might help.

 

[Rob Boudrie]

Couple points here.....look on YouTube. You can peel back the side of a GOOD safe in 15 min.

Not if you define "good safe" as one rated TL30 or better.

True if you mean a good "gun safe".

 

[garandman]

Inside Job. Or maybe someone followed the guy home from the range or gun shop.

Spoke to a Locksmith in Danvers about this subject. He indicated every case he was familiar with had inside info. Most were cash thefts from businesses.

Maybe it’s time to re-evaluate security measures.

 

[drgrant]

Spoke to a Locksmith in Danvers about this subject. He indicated every case he was familiar with had inside info. Most were cash thefts from businesses.

Maybe it’s time to re-evaluate security measures.

I recall a gun theft in MA in like lowell or lawrence where some drunk guy broke into a 2nd floor apartment with an appliance dolly and took a 500+ lb gun safe out all by himself. The homeowner had a reasonable idea who did it and why they did, and eventually the kopsch eventually found the guy getting sauced in a local bar.

-Mike

 

[friscoeast]

Mike-

That's a great story!

 

[LT1MCSS]

I always tell people you need a home security system with a safe. The reason I tell people that is for the EXACT reason that happened in that article. Inside job or not, it's not that hard for someone to watch your house and figure out the times you are there or not there. If there is no security system and someone successfully makes it into your house they have all the time in the world to get into your safe. Most safes that people own, all the money is in the door. The sides, back or top can be cut through with a saw. Seeing most of us have power tools in our homes they might even use your own saw to do it!

Like a few others have said, tying your safe into a zone on your home security system is a good idea. It's not that hard to do. If you can't do a door switch you can also get shock sensors where any vibration will trigger a faulted state. Sometimes just opening and closing the door is enough.

 

[mwalsh9152]

As said....layers of security! Sure, you can be in a safe inside 10 minutes of you know what you're doing, but that is going to be 10 minutes with the alarm screaming, and the cops enroute while you deal with my pissed off a**h*** rotty

 

[Rob Boudrie]

deal with my pissed off a**h*** rotty

You should store a decent stash of high armoa dog treats (jerky, perhaps) inside the safe so the dog will be sure to come running if the container is breeched.

 

[sigfanboy13]

Going through trash is another way to identify a gun owner. Think about the stuff we get delivered to us. Packages in large boxes, anything from Brownells, MidwayUSA, etc. Trash from packaging from firearms companies. Even mail you throw away. For example I just got this big honking packet thing from NRA-ILA that was hanging half way out of my mail box with a big NRA logo on it.

I doubt it's all that difficult, it just takes time and effort.

I had a Geissele charging handle "disappear" when UPS transferred it to the post office. I'm convinced someone at the PO recognized the Geissele name and walked off with it.

 

[10thSFFD]

Two safes. One very visible and one not. That is what I have. The visible one looks expensive and it is very heavy.

 

[pupchow]

Two safes. One very visible and one not. That is what I have. The visible one looks expensive and it is very heavy.

Same here. A conspicuously placed "sucker" safe, with nothing but easily replaceable items contained within. I also have motion detecting webcams covering the area, which are configured to text/email alerts.

 

[92G]

I had a Geissele charging handle "disappear" when UPS transferred it to the post office. I'm convinced someone at the PO recognized the Geissele name and walked off with it.

do you truly believe that a character who understands "Geissele" would steal one one of their products? I can't imagine many thugs looking for Geissele products. If the package was stolen it was probably more random than might think. Or perhaps they thought Geissele was a jewelry brand, something along those lines. I can assure you when they opened it and found your charging handle they were thoroughly disappointed. it's probably in a landfill somewhere.

there's an epidemic of AR owners who think everyone wants to steal their AR parts. if a remington 700 part went missing in the mail nobody would think twice.

 

[sigfanboy13]

do you truly believe that a character who understands "Geissele" would steal one one of their products? I can't imagine many thugs looking for Geissele products. If the package was stolen it was probably more random than might think. Or perhaps they thought Geissele was a jewelry brand, something along those lines. I can assure you when they opened it and found your charging handle they were thoroughly disappointed. it's probably in a landfill somewhere.

there's an epidemic of AR owners who think everyone wants to steal their AR parts. if a remington 700 part went missing in the mail nobody would think twice.

I could completely believe a temporary postal worker or driver can and would swipe a package. Also I wanna say that Geissele does have good service, they sent me another one after a few back and forth emails.

 

[enbloc]

I bet this was someone who knows a family member in that house or a friend of a friend kind of deal.

My first thought too. Teenagers keep secrets like cokeheads.
Thieves knew when they would be away and where to find the safe...

 

[enbloc]

I recall a gun theft in MA in like lowell or lawrence where some drunk guy broke into a 2nd floor apartment with an appliance dolly and took a 500+ lb gun safe out all by himself. The homeowner had a reasonable idea who did it and why they did, and eventually the kopsch eventually found the guy getting sauced in a local bar.

-Mike

That was Lowell, and I gave them back...

 

[ablediver]

amm5061 is right.Chuck that Ruger rifle box in the trash right side out or "go green" and recycle your ammo cardboards and either the trash guys will figure it out or if you buy from the big box shooting suppliers, it's right there on your doorstep. UPS once left a Hornady gunlocker (factory box-no wrapper) label -out from MidwayUSA in front of my garage door. Thanks guys, really appreciated that... Cameras (external) are worthwhile for getting potential ID on the perps. Making it so it's going to take a long time or a lot of work to get at them can discourage an amateur, but a determined pro will get them anyways.

 

[headednorth]

amm5061 is right.Chuck that Ruger rifle box in the trash right side out or "go green" and recycle your ammo cardboards and either the trash guys will figure it out or if you buy from the big box shooting suppliers, it's right there on your doorstep. UPS once left a Hornady gunlocker (factory box-no wrapper) label -out from MidwayUSA in front of my garage door. Thanks guys, really appreciated that... Cameras (external) are worthwhile for getting potential ID on the perps. Making it so it's going to take a long time or a lot of work to get at them can discourage an amateur, but a determined pro will get them anyways.

I got that from my mom. We grew up in Chelsea and if we got a new TV, she would cut up the box, fold all the cardboard up and stuff it into a trashbag rather than putting the box out on the curb on trash day for the whole world to see. I do the same with gun related trash. Everything either goes in the trash or if its just a plain brown box, into the recycling after all the labels are stripped. That includes the orm-d sticker and any barcodes (never know what's on them, lol).

My sister was at the house one day when the mailman showed up.
He says "got a package for you"
She says "is it heavy?"
He replies "nope, no bullets this time"
She's nogunz so she visibly shit a brick when he said that so he says "What? My brother has one of those machines in the basement. Looks like a giant can opener. He's down there for hours."

Point is that there's a lot of people out there who have access to some level of inside info into our lives. USPS, Fedex, trash and recycling, guy in traffic eying your Sig sticker, neighbors, neighbors kids dirtbag friends, etc. To some extent there's not much we can do about it without going into hermit mode, but there are a lot of ways we can limit what info is out there and who has access to it.

 

[Sentenza]

Want the guns back, run an ad in the paper for a Suboxones for guns trade in, they will be returned by 5 pm.

 

[fencer]

Article calls it a cache of weapons!!!!

Yeah.. I usually take more than that on a range trip...

 

[Sevenrats]

It's actually unusual for some amateur to go to the trouble to steal guns because of the legal implications of getting rid of them. It's much easier to just grab jewelry and run. Thieves who go after guns are doing so specifically. You should never let it be public knowledge that you own valuable guns because loose lips sink ships.

 

[T-Unit]

Motion activated cameras are cheap and are your eyes when you're not home. All it takes is one camera in the room you keep your valuables and it's a hell of a lot better of a lead than a senile 90 year old neighbor saying she saw President Nixon over at your house trying to steal the voice recordings.

Would like to know if this was a real gun safe like a Liberty or if it was basically a storage locker with a padlock.

 

[ablediver]

Sevenrats has a point. I needed to be more specific Dedicated gun perps are looking for them to steal / trade off and or re-sell, no mystery there. They have a clue as to how to break the back of the safe and hinges. Amateurs, (the lap-top and jewelry type) would be more likely to grab desk drawer / night stand safes---the smash and grab type stuff. An addendum, if you have service people come to the house / shop, think like the Stasi are dropping by. Anything gun related, out-of sight. CORI checks mean nothing

 

[nstassel]

It's actually unusual for some amateur to go to the trouble to steal guns because of the legal implications of getting rid of them. It's much easier to just grab jewelry and run. Thieves who go after guns are doing so specifically. You should never let it be public knowledge that you own valuable guns because loose lips sink ships.

Are there any brands you can suggest to mount inside pointed at the safes?