The Valley Police Department is reporting that weapons, ammo and equipment were stolen from their cruiser garage.
WOWT 6 News obtained a Douglas County Sheriff's report listing the stolen items as:
- two AR-type rifles
- a dozen magazines with various calibers
- live ammo - including 40 rounds armor piercing
- a taser
- a handheld radar unit
- one rifle
- police equipment
6 News reports that there were no signs of forced entry into the garage. Valley city maintenance have changed the lock on the side door and other measures are going to be added to protect against another burglary, 6 News reports. A digital combination lock is replacing a key doorknob.
Valley Police Chief Brett Smith declined to comment on 6 News' report.
Waterloo's Police Chief Tim Donahue tells 6 News that small-town departments back up each other and his officers often respond to calls in Valley. Donahue says, “It would have been nice to know if they had some weapons were taken that may be in the wrong hands of somebody.”
Chief Donahue says he learned of the gun theft from the sheriff’s office, which is alerting law enforcement agencies about the stolen Valley police guns and equipment. “Something we definitely don’t want to have on the street in the hands of somebody that shouldn’t have it for one. So, the question is who has it where it’s at, what are they going to do with it,” said Donahue. Stealing police guns and equipment may have been a crime of opportunity. But how they got in leaves questions behind.
The Sheriff’s report states the burglary occurred sometime in a recent nine-day span. An exact date and time can’t be pinpointed because the officer whose equipment was stolen had been out on medical leave.