Westford cop’s loaded handgun found in recycling bin

[free]

F-ing idiot.

Side note... The Westford Chief got it up his @ss that anyone renewing has to show proof of completing a gun safety class. Even if you already showed that when you got your permit last time. I almost had to take a class again until I remembered I had my hunting license.

What year was this and what was the Chief's name?

Thanks

 

[TayNinh_66]

Obviously we need mandatory locks on recycling bins. (To protect the children)

 

[mothybee]

fell out the safe into recycle bin ? It happens all the time

Maybe next time, shut the friggin door!

 

[yogi]

My wife was reading the local rag this morning and shouted to me, "read this, it can't be true"...I told her if that was me, all my guns and my license would be gone. She replied, "that can't be true."

 

[dhuze]

I’m going to guess they have to charge him (or it will look crazy bad in the press) but they will plea it down to something that avoids PP status and preserves his career. Nobody will be paying attention to the plea deal and life goes on..............

 

[AHM]

was it Glock? If it was it better be in plastic recycling.

Great minds run in the same channel.

M&P frames are DuPont Zytel (nylon),
and nylon is code 7 (Other).

Chelmsford recycles 1-5 and 7;
that is, everything but 6 (Polystyrene).

So it's all good.
=====

Side note... The Westford Chief got it up his @ss that anyone renewing has to show proof of completing a gun safety class. Even if you already showed that when you got your permit last time. I almost had to take a class again until I remembered I had my hunting license.

1. Year[/month]?
   
2. At what point in the renewal process?
3. Was that license originally granted in Westford, or by some other authority?

Thanks.

 

[free]

We dont know if it was an M&P, or an older steel model like 4013 etc.

 

[Broc]

Great minds run in the same channel.

M&P frames are DuPont Zytel (nylon),
and nylon is code 7 (Other).

Chelmsford recycles 1-5 and 7;
that is, everything but 6 (Polystyrene).

So it's all good.
=====

1. Year[/month]?
   
2. At what point in the renewal process?
3. Was that license originally granted in Westford, or by some other authority?

Thanks.

1. 2017 (renewal).
2. After the licensing officer did the paperwork. She called me and asked me if I could Email her a pic, that is was new policy. The licensing officer is awesome, she is very polite and cool. She even got a restricted LTC from Lowell. Ask her about the PITA it was for her.
3. The original LTC no restrictions was from Westford. But, in case it matters, before that I had a resident alien FID from Canton, I then moved to another town, then moved to Westford and became a citizen. The day after becoming a citizen I applied to get a class A. I received the class A from Westford, and several years later did the renewal in Westford.

 

[nstassel]

In my opinion he will never formally be charged. I bet there will be a grand jury investigation which will result in no bills against the cop-at worst.

 

[Radtekk]

Interesting how all the talking heads in Washington politics are making noise about double standards and a "two-tiered justice" system. I wonder if they would see the irony here...

 

[drgrant]

I’m going to guess they have to charge him (or it will look crazy bad in the press) but they will plea it down to something that avoids PP status and preserves his career. Nobody will be paying attention to the plea deal and life goes on.

lol thats just adorable that you think a badged leo will ever get charged with a safe storage violation... bad press? bad to who? us maybe... thats about it. otherwise because nobody got hurt, this is a sidebar...

 

[drgrant]

In my opinion he will never formally be charged. I bet there will be a grand jury investigation which will result in no bills against the cop-at worst.

I doubt itll go even that far. "they" would not want to risk that...

 

[oldyankee]

This case may point out that the regulations are too harsh and perhaps enforced unequally, but knowing that any of us can make a mistake I hope Officer Hartley's career is not ruined because of this incident.

 

[Waher]

I wonder if the pattern of police not being punished for committing the same violation Joe and Jane Doe get put through the wringer for might someday allow Comm2A to challenge the 'safe storage' MGL.

Though I suppose the legislature would 'fix' the issue by exempting off duty and retired LEOs from the law. (Another constitutional violation)

 

[Rat187]

This case may point out that the regulations are too harsh and perhaps enforced unequally, but knowing that any of us can make a mistake I hope Officer Hartley's career is not ruined because of this incident.

Sorry, I hope he gets procuted to the full extent of the law, if guilty. Yea it sucks, but would anyone be feeling sorry for us ?

 

[drgrant]

This case may point out that the regulations are too harsh and perhaps enforced unequally, but knowing that any of us can make a mistake I hope Officer Hartley's career is not ruined because of this incident.

lol... meanwhile on a good day it would cost any of us peons an easy 5-20k to deal with tthis problem and if we ate a CWOF at the end itd be considered a success. I'd settle for him losing his job, because I don't agree with the whole prohibited person bs... not that will happen either. I doubt he'll get anything worse than driving a desk for a little while.

 

[Bonesinium]

To be fair, cops are ever so slightly more likely to face consequences for mistakes than willful conduct, so who knows. It’s not like he shot the driver of the recycling truck because he thought the claw that picks up the bin was going to kill him.

 

[snax]

I wonder if giving the garbage guy 1000 bucks to stfu would have settled the whole thing and he wouldn't report it.

 

[Amputee Marksman]

This case may point out that the regulations are too harsh and perhaps enforced unequally, but knowing that any of us can make a mistake I hope Officer Hartley's career is not ruined because of this incident.

Sorry. I hope he is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and his career is ruined. Why should he get a free ride. They would not give me or you a free ride. I work in the finance industry. Something like this would end my career as I have to pass extensive background checks every year because I have access to customers credit data, bank account data etc.

 

[Shotgun Scully]

What is the AG’s comment on this?? Shouldn’t we ask her office to investigate?

 

[Radtekk]

Sorry. I hope he is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and his career is ruined. Why should he get a free ride. They would not give me or you a free ride. I work in the finance industry. Something like this would end my career as I have to pass extensive background checks every year because I have access to customers credit data, bank account data etc.

This, SO this!
If I get tagged for OUI there's a 90%+ chance I lose my national certification for "crime other than motor vehicle moving violation" if I 'fess up. If I don't report it and renew my license without acknowledging it and get caught there's a 90%+ chance I lose my national certification for...

If this cop who would actually be in a position to arrest me for a once in a lifetime mistake gets a pass for something arguably worse that means the system is irretrievably, incontrovertedy, broken.

 

[ccm75]

This case came to mind.
Barnstable sergeant on leave after leaving gun in restaurant

I like how the Bourne COP explains the intent of the safe storage statute....

And then there is this one where the local PD actually charged the state trooper...
Sandwich trooper accepts gun punishment

 

[Rob Boudrie]

I wonder if the pattern of police not being punished for committing the same violation Joe and Jane Doe get put through the wringer for might someday allow Comm2A to challenge the 'safe storage' MGL.

As a general principle of law, one cannot cite treatment given to others in similar situations as it is considered irrelevant.

 

[gamma19]

This case came to mind.
Barnstable sergeant on leave after leaving gun in restaurant

I like how the Bourne COP explains the intent of the safe storage statute....

And then there is this one where the local PD actually charged the state trooper...
Sandwich trooper accepts gun punishment

That second story is a hoot! The charges against the trooper were dropped because the judge ruled that safe storage laws may be unconstitutional. I'm sure he'd rule the same way for an ordinary citizen in the same situation. /s

 

[rocket500]

lol thats just adorable that you think a badged leo will ever get charged with a safe storage violation... bad press? bad to who? us maybe... thats about it. otherwise because nobody got hurt, this is a sidebar...

This one may be tough to shrug off although I wouldn’t put anything past our overlords.

We should keep an eye on this one. They would jam all of us up hard in this situation. We’d be made examples of.

 

[Noreaster]

Huumm, When trash is discarded to the street for pickup, California vs Greenwood states its now public domain. So how does one register a free gun that was discarded by someone else? leave seller info bank?

 

[ProGun]

Considering how a citizen LTC holder would be handled, an officer commiting this "crime" should absolutely be charged (and then fired). I'm so sick of hearing about police being above the law. What a crock.

Either fix the unreasonable laws, or enforce on everyone in this cesspool Commonwealth.

 

[DPR]

Apparently he's out on paid leave pending the results of an investigation. I would think processing his vacation paperwork would take longer than the actual investigation.

 

[cbrxx]

Apparently he's out on paid leave pending the results of an investigation. I would think processing his vacation paperwork would take longer than the actual investigation.

I just saw them report on this on Fox25. Of course no real mention of how serious this crime would be for us ordinary subjects. Likely because that is not at all mentioned in any official press releases.
When it's one of the kings men, it's always "just an honest mistake". If it were one of us, we would all hear their cries to "Think about the children".
This is a clear case where an innocent child could have been killed.... Imagine a couple kids finding it and thinking it was a toy.
Yea, the storage laws are BS. Someone without children should be allowed to do as they please to keep their protection at the ready. However, this is such gross negligence in regards to handling your firearm.
You are clearly incompetent if one ends up in the recycling bin while handling them and you don't realize it.

 

[Drix]

What is the AG’s comment on this?? Shouldn’t we ask her office to investigate?

Her comment is probably something you could have quoted out of the glock case, how did it go? "Police have hundreds of hours of training with their firearms which makes them safer than the average citizen"...