22 guns are stolen from state armory

Thursday, Dec. 5, 2002 | 11:18 a.m.

Burglars kicked in the wooden office door at the state Parole and Probation Division in Las Vegas last weekend and stole 22 handguns, up to 5,000 rounds of ammunition and cans of pepper spray.

District Administrator Ed Henderson said Wednesday that he can't speculate as to who might be involved but that he's worried about the safety of the public with the weapons in the wrong hands.

"We don't want any weapons to be used in a crime, particularly if they belong to law enforcement," Henderson said.

An office in the division's small annex building at 215 E. Bonanza Road was being used for the makeshift armory, Henderson said. Investigators are trying to figure out how the burglars got into the building. No windows were broken, he said, though he did not know if the building was ransacked.

Kim Evans, public information officer for the state Department of Public Safety, said the division asked for and was given a "one shot" -- money given once for a specific project -- to install an alarm system and additional security at the Las Vegas office of Parole and Probation.

But that money was taken away from the agency when Gov. Kenny Guinn made cuts to balance the budget last year. "We recognized the need for additional security and we requested it for several years but we understand the fiscal challenges that came down facing the state," said Evans.

The Legislature authorized $25,182 for security upgrades at various parole and probation offices in the state.

Most agencies suffered the loss of their "one shot" money because of the state's budget crisis.

Matt Leone, associate professor of criminal justice at the University of Nevada, Reno, said the burglary at a police agency is a a "very rare event."

"The problem with P&P in the state of Nevada is the extraordinary budget problems it is experiencing," he said. "There are many things they would like to be doing.

"They know the way things ought to be done, but you just can't do things right if you don't have the money to do things right."

The office of the Parole and Probation Division is in the front of the building and the armory is in the rear. Henderson said many of those on probation or parole make their reports to the office.

"Some offenders or friends of offenders have heard us discussing the armory," he said.

Capitol Police patrol the Sawyer State Office Building a couple of blocks away but do not patrol the Parole and Probation office.

Detective Sgt. Jerome Gerrard of the state Division of Investigations is leading the probe but declined to comment. A spokeswoman said the investigation is in the information collection stage.

Fingerprints were collected from the scene, Metro Police Detective Rubin Hood said, but it will be several weeks before it is determined whether they are usable.

Fifteen of the handguns were duty weapons that are issued to parole and probation officers when they are hired. The others were guns that had been confiscated from criminal suspects.

Henderson said the duty guns sell for $600 to $700. He said he was worried that the weapons could be on the street and possibly being sold.

But it should not be hard to identify the duty weapons, he said. All have been laser-etched with "Nevada P&P" on the forward frame body. The serial number is laser-etched on the slide, barrel and frame. There are also stamped serial numbers and model numbers on the side-release of the weapon.

In addition to the weapons, the burglars made off with six pairs of electronic ear protectors and six or seven cans of pepper spray.

Leads on the crime may turn up if somebody tries to sell the weapons to a pawnshop or if a person is arrested while using one of the guns in a robbery, Henderson said.

Kim Evans, spokeswoman for the state Department of Public Safety, said investigators are gathering information and declined to say whether arrests were imminent.

She did ask that people with information about the offense contact Gerrard at (702) 486-5810 or (702) 492-9152.

The stolen weapons included 10 Smith & Wesson .40-caliber model 4013 weapons with stainless metal bodies and slide with single stack magazines. Also missing were three Smith & Wesson .40-caliber model 4006 guns with stainless metal bodies and slide with double stack magazines. Also stolen were two Smith & Wesson .40-caliber model 99 handguns with matte black composite bodies with a metal slide and barrel.

The confiscated guns that were stolen were a Beretta, a Taurus, a DHCF Derringer, a Mann, a Tec 9 and two Smith & Wesson guns.

These aren't the only stolen guns that may be on the streets.

In August nearly 80 firearms were stolen from Craven's Gun Haven at 3620 W. Sahara Ave., near Valley View Boulevard. Three armed men stormed the store, handcuffed the owner and used duffel bags and a garbage can to haul the guns from the store to a vehicle.

After receiving an anonymous tip, police recovered about two dozen of the guns and arrested one man, but two others remain at large. Police fear that the guns are in the hands of convicted felons and gang members.

Metro Police Lt. Vincent Cannito declined to comment on the armory burglary, since the state is investigating, however, he did express worry.

"Anytime a gun is stolen, that causes law enforcement concern," Cannito said.

Sun reporters

Jennifer Lawson and Jean Reid Norman contributed to this story.