New Bedford Chief Comes Foward With Details On Stolen Gun

The New Bedford Police have come forward to detail how that assault rifle was stolen from the trunk of a detectives vehicle on July 1.  Chief David Provencher tells the Standard Times that the theft was the result of a faulty department practice that has since been corrected.  The Chief tells the paper that when an officer took the  rifle home with him in a gun case that was bolted and secured to the vehicle, he was operating within what he believed was established policy.

In fact, there was no policy allowing officers assigned to the special response team to take their assault weapons home with them, although it had become an accepted practice. The practice has since been stopped and the department has adopted a policy preventing Special Response Team officers from taking their assault rifles home with them.

The Chief says that the department is reviewing all policies relating to all Special Operation units in the department.