we are told we need the police to protect us from criminals. thats a lie. the cops cant even protect there own stuff from being stolen by criminals. Original Article Losses of police gear troubling to Ariz. experts By Kristina Davis, Tribune January 30, 2006 In Chandler, an FBI agents unmarked car was stolen from his neighborhood along with a special agents badge, an FBI building access card, a submachine gun and SWAT gear. In Tempe, a police commanders unmarked car was stolen with SWAT uniforms and a handgun inside. And two weeks ago in Phoenix, a SWAT officers unmarked car was snatched, along with numerous tactical gear items and weapons. Are these incidents and others like them merely the acts of opportunistic thieves? Or could it be the handiwork of a larger organization gathering the tools necessary to carry out a far more sinister plan? Those are the questions that Arizona counterterrorism experts ask every time they are alerted to stolen or missing police equipment which they have been documenting and analyzing in response to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. We look at this with a global perspective, said Maj. Norm Beasley, intelligence bureau commander of the Arizona Counterterrorist Information Center in Phoenix. When you look at terrorist attacks in other parts of the world, historically, this is exactly what happened. Theyve worn police uniforms, driven police vehicles that are either made to look like police or are in fact stolen. When we start seeing these kinds of things happening, we always look at it, he said. LIFE AFTER 9/11 Overall, Arizona agencies reported 46 incidents of stolen or missing police equipment in 2005 to the counterterrorism center. The actual number could be much higher since police agencies are not required to report incidents to the center. While no solid information has been gleaned linking stolen police gear to terrorist activity, experts say they cant ignore the possibility. We look at what happens internationally, Beasley said. Sooner or later, the potential for that happening here increases day to day. East Valley police officials say most equipment thefts theyve investigated have probably been crimes of opportunity by thieves who may not have realized at first who their victims were. Other thefts may have been organized by larger criminal groups, they say, but probably not terrorists with political agendas. Still, most police agencies realize the importance of reporting incidents to counterterrorism officials. Especially in a post-9/11 world, there are concerns that werent there before, said Tempe police Sgt. Dan Masters. It would be foolish for us and everyone else not to recognize that as a possibility. Common items reported missing included: Communications equipment, police helmets and pads, bullet-proof vests, uniforms, police insignia, badges, identification cards, credentials, cell phones, pagers, stun guns and firearms. Obviously, weapons are a huge concern to us, Beasley said. It presents an immediate threat. Some of those are high-powered or fully automatic. Thefts of firefighter and ambulance personnel uniforms and credentials are also a concern, since they could get potential terrorists into a high-security area without much notice. We look at context: Whats going on in Arizona at this particular time? Beasley said. If there is a particular event looming on the horizon or a visit from a particular kind of dignitary. FOR SALE ON EBAY And if terrorists werent the ones stealing the gear, then they can still easily buy items on the black market from the thieves who did. Or simply use the Internet. You can go on eBay any day and get patches, shirts everything you need to put together a complete police uniform, Masters said. Its certainly concerning when you hear cases of people being pulled over and sometimes physically assaulted. Police dont know where a large group of armed men got their SWAT equipment, including a battering ram, before invading a Tempe home in July. The eight or nine armed men, dressed in full tctical gear and wearing hoods, declared themselves to be federal agents. After three victims were tied up, the home was ransacked and two vehicles stolen. In the more recent Chandler case, some of the stolen FBI equipment was set to be sold to raise bail money, according to a search warrant filed earlier this month. Many of the reported thefts are from unmarked police cars, personal vehicles or officers homes, according to records and police. Everybody knows to lock and secure your items, said Chandler detective Livi Kacic. I have a take-home car when Im on-call, but I dont leave any gear in it. Contact Kristina Davis by email, or phone (480)-898-6446