The case of the chief's disappearing gun

Ye out of town socks may not be aware of the mystery unfolding in this little corner of heaven.

Apparently, our chief of police Val Demings has become not only an icon of responsible gun stewardship but also highlighted the capabilities of local law enforcement.

It seems that way back on 2/27, nearly a month ago, Mrs. Demings had her OPD-issued gun and 138 rounds of ammunition stolen out of her Chevy Tahoe while it was parked right outside her own home.

Why are we just hearing about it now? Evidently, her department along with the sheriff's office (now run by her husband Jerry) thought it would be too much of an embarassment. But, their efforts to keep a lid on things were blown out of the water by an anonymous tip to the media today.

A lot of questions need to be answered. Here are a few:

1. Given the fact that Mr. Demings' vehicle was vandalized THREE times over the last year while parked in front of the same house, (a) why hasn't security been tightened there, and (b) why would you select that location to store guns and ammunition?

2. As there was no evidence of forced entry and the thieves did not attempt to steal other valuables in the vehicle, what is the possibility of this either being an inside job (i.e. someone who had the keys with Demings' permission) OR is it a complete fabrication and Demings has either lost or misplaced the weaponry?

3. Why did it take nearly a month for the public to be made aware of this situation? The Demings and their departments were not the only ones trying to keep it under wraps. Evidently, the chief did inform Mayor Buddy Dyer the day after the gun and ammo went missing. So, why did he keep it quiet, too?

This whole story stinks.

I do have to give the chief some credit, though. She told her internal affairs people to throw the proverbial book at her, which involves taking away a couple of her accumulated vacation days.

Yeah, that'll make up for having a loaded high-power weapon in the hands of a criminal whose prowling the streets of our fair city . . .