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Anaheim police chief’s gun disappears. Twice.
July 7th, 2009, 3:00 am · 92 Comments · posted by Teri Sforza, Register staff writer
The first time Anaheim police chief John Welter’s gun went missing was in 2006. It was stolen from his car - along with other stuff - while parked in front of his Anaheim Hills home.
The weapon eventually surfaced in Whittier, and the gentleman in possession of it was arrested, said Anaheim spokeswoman Ruth Ruiz.
Peace officers apparently lose their guns so infrequently that official-types don’t even keep track of the phenomenon on a statewide basis. So, it could be considered a strike of very bad luck when, earlier this year, Welter’s gun went missing again.
This time, the chief was in San Diego on family business. The weapon was apparently found in the street by a young person - luckily, one without much of a penchant for mischief - who handed it off to official-types, who got it home to Anaheim.
The chief declined to discuss these incidents with us. After about a week of inquiry by the Register, city officials also declined to provide more details.
While the city recognizes the public safety implications, it wants to make clear that it is pleased with how Welter has lead the department since joining it in 2004, spokeswoman Ruiz said.
“Chief Welter has led the Anaheim Police Department with integrity since joining Anaheim in 2004,” Mayor Curt Pringle said in a prepared statement. “We are fortunate have a leader with more than 36 years of law enforcement experience on our team.”
The city is not at liberty to go into personnel matters publicly, but the issue was addressed with the former city manager, Ruiz said.
Welter was San Diego’s executive assistant police chief before stepping into the shoes vacated by retiring (and controversial) Anaheim Chief Roger Baker. Welter became the first outsider to lead the department since 1988, and stressed accessibility, openness and the importance of being active in the community as he took the helm.
The chief is a Harley Davidson enthusiast, who has a city-issued Harley in addition to the more standard city-issued Dodge Charger. The car and its upkeep costs the city $7,079 a year, and the Harley costs $11,140, Ruiz said. Welter can be seen riding the Harley around town with other officers, and has been known to write a few tickets as well.
In an effort to suss out just how common this missing-gun-thing is, we’re querying OC’s cities about how many service weapons have been reported missing over the last two years.
Fountain Valley wins the prize for swiftest response: “In the last two years, we have had one duty firearm that was stolen from an officer’s residence during the course of a burglary,” wrote Capt. Daniel S. Llorens, Patrol Division Commander, in an email. “The officer involved reported the incident to the local police agency involved and to our department. Our department requires officers whose firearms are lost, stolen or damaged to make a report immediately to the appropriate authorities, including our department.”
We’ll keep you posted as we hear from the rest of the policing agencies. (And we expect some credit for resisting the many bad jokes that could be made here. We have a feeling we can count on you, dear readers, for that.)
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Why does a police chief need a cruiser and a Harley? Taxpayers of Anaheim, wake up!
Because he’s a WORKING chief. Was that so hard to figure out?
evennow: Oh, B.S. and you know it. You must be bucking for a promotion.
evennow, you sound like the chief himself or one of his lackees. What a moron.
real cops ride motors, the gun needs a safety chain, good to hear about honest mistakes woof
I can tell you with a 100% certainty that had it been a patrolman or investigator or any other regular police officer, they would have been suspended. Why wasn’t he?
Holy Cow! How can a Police Chief lose his gun twice? I would think that you’d guard it with your life! I wonder if he’s ever lost his car or his Harley. Maybe he doesn’t really need a gun at all for everyones safety.
Once stolen, once just lost in the street….ok but if it happens a third time it is far more than pure coincidence. At that point the Chief needs to NOT carry a firearm and therefore is not capable of being chief.
Yeah, b/c only “Trained officials” know firearm safety. What a moron.
wow, in my whole 22 years of driving, I have never lost my keys to my car….(knock on wood)……I can understand the break in, but losing his gun on the street…WHAT!!!!!
It’s Police Chief Wiggum! Where’s Ralphie??
That is just too funny!!
I had the same thought! Picturing him scratching his head with his gun (safety off). “Now, where did I put my gun?”
Maybe he should at least keep his bullets or maybe allowed to carry only 1 bullet in his pocket. So when he loses his gun again at least it won’t be loaded.
OK, but don’t give him any SWAT weapons.
Maybe they should put his gun on a string and thread it through his sleeves, like Mom did with your mittens.
How does one really lose a gun on the street? They should be secure in a holster, not just dropping out of one’s shoulder holster or wherever he has it…and especially as the chief of police, he really should be aware of things that drop out of his possession.
Police Chiefs carry guns? I thought their job position was more of an administrative role managing the Police force.
This is why I could never be a Cop. I constantly misplace things.
He is only human.
ad
Ewwww OCR getting the dirt on the Anaheim Police Chief! He must be standing up to the illegals again!! Typically what puts an OCR target on one’s back!
Hey, its Police Chief Wiggam!
The funniest thing is that if the people ever realized how much power they actually have to stop all this corruption, it’s effects would be immediate but we rely on “lawyers” and other “professionals” to interpret and tell us what we can and cannot do. Has it not crossed your mind yet that they are lying to you and taking your trust as a weakness?
Start asking questions, GOOGLE the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report EVERY CITY, county and State has one and ask why it does not match the budget. Ask why most of YOUR money is invested off shore while your roads crumble.
they are telling you they are reducing budgets but have you looked for yourself? Of course not because if you did you would actually see they are increasing spending.
We have lost this Republic because of our laziness and trust. Research the Federal Reserve and ask why 100% of the income tax goes to INTEREST ON THE NATIONAL DEBT, not one penny goes to goods and services. Republican and Democrats are the SAME, it is called a false paradigm so you argue with each other while they steal all you have from under your nose.
and… “THE SKY IS FALLING…THE SKY IS FALLING!”
Let us also not forget there are alligators in the sewer.
That’s why I became a fireman.
It’s much more difficult to lose 50′ of hose!
LOL!!!!!!
You mean, other than the fact that:
- You would not be able to have a big red truck with fire stickers all over it
- You would not be able to have a second job
- You would not be able to spend as much time at the river
- And, you may have to actually look for work while not on an assigned call
Just had to go there bro, be safe, the season is approaching.
Yeah, that’s also why you “stage” fisher. God made cops so guys like you can have heroes.
Umm Drew, this is about a guy who keeps losing his gun. Did you read something different?
Law Enforcement knows just how often cars are stolen and broken into. It is just bad practice to leave anything of value in a vehicle parked outside…or in a garage if you don’t shut the overhead door.
My husband is a Police Sergeant and we have a safe that the gun goes into. I have a firearm as well that is kept in a safe attached to the bed frame that is accessable with a button combination.
At no time are our guns in easy reach of children OR burglars.
Let me get this straight, Andy Griffith was the sheriff and Barney was the deputy. Andy didn’t carry a gun and Barney only had one bullet. With all the trouble Barney got into, (on many occasions his gun was taken from him) Andy would always save the day with out a gun.
Welter, take a lesson from Andy and leave your gun in the safe.
Oh PLEASE?
People stop it..
Stop trying to paint the picture like he is out just screwing around.
It is a city vehicle just like the pd cars are. just a different model car.
And the motorcycle DOES NOT cost 11, 140 a year.
The problem here, is that everyone is forgetting that any vehicle used by anyone required to use one on the job, will cost.
It is part of their job, and perks
It’s not like he is out joy riding all week and not doing his job.
And so do all you who have company cars have a problem with this?
Or is it just the ones who chose to have the jobs they do and are basically whiners anyway?
Get a life people.
Well spoken………for an admin pogue. The CHIEF needs a Harley to ride around on? Give me a freaking break, “CAN.” 400 officers plus approx. 173 civilian employees, and the chief is out riding around the ‘hood on a bike? What’s he doing, checking out the freebie food establishments? Don’t b.s. the b.s.’ers
What a KNUCKLEHEAD!!!
Law abiding citizens with CCW’s are more responsible than this
buffoon!
This guy was with San Diego PD for 33 years. He was passed over twice for the chief’s job. Why?
He was also being pushed into retirement.
Leaving a gun in a car is irresponsible!
Losing it in the street?…
You can see more responsible persons making $8.00 an hour working as security guards at South Coast Plaza!
South Coast Plaza Security guards actually make 12 an hour =)
Don’t judge him by what San Diego does. They teeter near bankruptcy a lot.
Ten bucks says he loses the motorcycle next!
next time give him a Tony Blauer look-alike! He won’t know the difference!
Gun, Harley, Charger and a paycheck? It doesn’t sound like a bad gig, where do I sign up?
Wow what a flippin’ surprise, the OCR is taking shots at Law Enforcement….who would have thunk it??? We need another peper in OC becuase this one is pure garbage. I wish the LATimes would write an article logging the number of times the OCR releases an article with the grammatical accuracies of a third grade english class. Grow up OCR and start reporting things of substance.
And yes folks, i see the irony in submitting a comment with a spelling mistake…..maybe I can write for the Register now!
Good gawd. And the cops are worried about giving CCW’s to civilians? ha! It seems to me that if a cop loses his service weapon twice that they should cancel his right to carry one. If a CCW holder did the same thing they would probably charge him with a crime!
Bet he never lost a paycheck.
Maybe he should keep then together.
This guy makes Barney Fife look like a Navy Seal. Get rid of these clowns and restore some character to the APD
And I should care about this because???? The headline should have been “CARONA Part 2″ My God, let’s how can this injustice stand, and no comment from the city??? This has cover-up written all over it.
Oh wait, they didn’t because NO ONE CARES ABOUT THIS! So what, the guy f’ed up. And who gives a flying flick if he has a motorcycle and a car? What does that remotely have to do with this story???
WOW, another hard-hitting article by the OCR!
66 comments and counting. Somebody cares enough about this article to submit their own comment.
How embarassing!!!
Easy, from now on he will carry two guns. So when he loses one he claims he still have another one to protect the Anaheim residents… But the second one just shoots the water.LOL…
People please. A case of bad luck is what I see. Ya, so he shouldn’t have left his gun in his car the first time but as for the second time, you gotta ask yourself. How many times have you put something on the bumper or roof of your car and forgot about it, only to drive away and remember that you left it there (coffee, posse box full of papers, phone, paperwork, purse, wallet, sippy cup, diaper bag, etc.). I’ve done it many of times, although never with a firearm. But to a guy that’s worked over 30 years in a career where his gun is as normal to him as your cell phone is to you, it can happen.
I agree with the other post though…………happens again, he’s got issues.
As for the post about a regular employee getting in trouble…………wrong bud, I’ve seen it many a time and never have I heard of disciplinary action. Cops are human too and thank god nobody was hurt (unless the one they recovered from the “GENTLEMAN”…….NICE OCR, in LA, wasn’t used to off someone).
Get over it people and look for someone else to attack, maybe the child molester (as per statements made in a deposition where he paid the family 15+ million to drop it) that was remembered today.
Maybe he should have a rookie cop guard his gun. That way if it got lost again he can blame it on the other guy.
We are not talking about keys, a wallet or a cup of coffee left on the hood of a car. We are talking about a firearm (probably loaded) that was lost, not stolen. Even though he is human, this is a serious incident. Feel sorry for him, laugh about it, defend him, but I sure would be curious to know how a police officers weapon, especially the COP, was found on the street.
If your curiosity was met, and you knew all of the circumstances– which of course OCR would never be able to get to, or report on accurately…..would it really make a difference to all of the negative people out there…There are always 2 sides to every story, and this reporter failed miserably, as most of you have in your comments that only display ignorance and lack of humanity….Come on folks, this is the work of a ticked off employee who hasn’t a clue, or care, about the organization its suppose to represent. As a long standing community member, Chief John Welter is the best thing that has happened to that department and our community–It isn’t all about “Anaheim Hills” anymore.
Note to Disgruntled Employee: Get over it and be a better man, take your cue from Chief Welter and take the high road, or move on– Others will soon start to figure out who is behind this irresponsible journalism. The community stands behind, and supports Chief Welter, he has proven himself a great insightful leader over and over again.
The title of this article is deceiving. I’d even consider it Yellow Journalism. The Police Chief’s gun didn’t “Disappear Twice”, it was stolen the first time. The second time, however, does appear to sound like he lost it. A more responsible title to this article would be “Police Chief’s Gun Out Of His Possession Twice”. As far as the Harley and the Charger, does anyone know if he uses either for personal transportation when he goes about running his personal errands?
I’m sure all Law Enforcement agencies go around sharing information to the public on all the irresponsible mistakes they make while in the line of duty
I agree! The OCR seems to be publishing more and more articles (good and bad) pertaining to Law Enforcement.
Good job OCR.
Ok, here’s someone’s turn to respond to my post by saying “See what happens the next time you call the Police for assistance!”
The Chief needs a new holster, perhaps a “Rogers” type that significantly contributes to weapon retention. Wouldn’t help with the theft from his car but if he’s dropping that sucker while riding around on a motor… The Rogers model would also help retain his weapon during a physical altercation. Cheap insurance.
Hey, let’s be careful out there!
What country does this writer think this is? “Went missing”? Not once, but twice.
The OCR tries for sophistication. “Went missing,” “at university,” and “in hospital” are in vogue. Spelling, you’ll find if you read enough stories here, isn’t. Often clarity and grammar are in short supply too. Just be grateful that you could get the gist of the story.
This guy is engaged with what he does.
1. Vehicles are replaced based upon condition and mileage. If he is splitting between two vehicles, they will last longer.
2. He actually understands what the officers on the street face daily, and he does write tickets, has worked traffic control etc. Not many Chief’s can say that.
3. He’s always on time for meetings in other City buildings and doesn’t take up a parking space, because he show up on a motor. He’s also easy to work with.
4. Recently participated in saving a few workers on a scaffold on the bank building next to the police stations, before the Fire Department showed up (with apologies to Fire Chief Roger Smith who recognized the irony).
5. O.K., He’s gotta work on that gun thing though.
Another admin pogue. Well said. “Participated in saving a few workers….”? What’d he do, run out on his Harley and get coffee for the troops? Shows up on time? Crap, give him an atta-boy for that!!! “Easy to work with”? Sure, because he’s always out on his Harley, looking for his gun?
/s/Retired cop who never lost his gun, and rode Harleys.
PS: I don’t know the man, but stop with the nonsense accolades. They make you sound like you need another set of kneepads.
I swear ….. why didn’t he call a cop?
Ohhhh ….. nevermind!
I admire the C.O.P who gets out from behind the desk, get’s on a bike and goes out into the field to work with the officers. It helps keep him/her humbled and grounded to the concept of police work. Administrators in any profession tend to forget why they entered the profession, how difficult it is at the bottom of the ladder, and can give an unfiltered view of what customers/citizens actually think of your organization. I would encourage the chief to continue. It is unfortunate that more administrators in police work do not make the time to follow the chiefs example.
what would happen if a street copper lost his or her pistol 1 to 4 times?……….exactly
since when does stolen equal lost, technically speaking of course….but you are old and tired….exactly
Why does the OC Register constainly rip on the cops? It’s bad enough that we the public do it, but why OCR? You get a kick out of it?
give the guy another break?? what the heck ? he is a leader a true example for all??
Once you reach the level of a chief, you are definately an administrator and probably have been for some time. These guys probably haven’t been on the street in years and a gun on their hip probably seems like a souvenir paper weight.
Maybe as an example to his officers, he should give himself some unpaid time off as punishment. I’m sure his troops would appreciate that one.
observatory1969 , as long as he doesn’t forget to carry his firearm..
There is no excuse.
He’s a dolt.
The fact that he goes out and works with those that he commands, says alot about his character. Losing those guns had to be very embarrassing for him. I think he he is a good Chief. I’m betting that the Officers at Anaheim P.D. think so too. Every one makes mistakes. Fortunately no one was killed or injured by the weapons in question.
He should go to Las Vegas what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.
THE CHIEF OF POLICE IS A DI DI DI DI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DID HE RIDE THE SHORT YELLOW BUS!!!!!!!!
hahahhhaahahhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahaaaahaaaaa !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i dont like PLACAS,(C..O..P..S) OINKS OINKS OINKS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PUT HIM IN JAIL FOR LOOSING HIS GUN A BIG BAD MEAN GUY COULD HAVE USED IT TO ROBB A STORE AND OR KILL AN INNOCENT PERSON!!!!!!!! PUT HIM WITH MIKE CORONA IN THE SAME CELL THEY COULD BE “BUDDIES” LOLHAHAHAHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Go get an education before you post crap like that. You sound like an idiot.
To the tune of “Blowin’ in the Wind” … Everybody join in …
How many guns must one cop misplace,
Before you call him confused?
How many bikes must one city give,
Before people say it’s too much?
The answer, my friends, is in your tax bills.
The answer is in your tax bills.
OR … to the tune of “Where have all the flowers gone” … once again, with feeling:
Where have all the cops’ guns gone?
Long time, passing,
Where have all the cops’ guns gone,
In Anaheim?
Where have all the cops’ guns gone,
Gone to criminals, every one.
When will they keep them close?
When will they, ever learn?
I live in Anaheim, and don’t know him. But my curious questions are:
1. Why did he left the gun in car and parked out of the garage? This action is not acceptable, I carry a govermnent laptop and never leave it in car or anywhere out of my sight. I believe he must be trained in how to protect the secret documents, so a gun is almost the same.
2. Second time how did he lose it? A gun is not like a car key, and not suppose to put in your wallet.
One thing I like him is that he rides a bike to patrol, I ride bike too. I might meet him several times, but never know he is the chief.
Hey, Don’t give up your day job– assuming you have one. You know what happens when you assume, right………..might point exactly!
“Why, Peter….you’ve become a pirate”….or Why OC Watch Dog, you have become a Watch RAT….Dogs are cool, rats aren’t….good luck with your next victim, I doubt they will be as classy as this one has been….really drudging up things over a year past, resolved and long gone I bet….you owe this man an apology. What about Sarah Palin’s resignation……now I smell a rat!!!!
I bet Drew thinks the Government is spying on him.
To: Gets It
Yes, there are two sides to every story. SO WHY DOESN’T THE CHIEF PUBLICLY TELL HIS?
Typical G.E.D. scholar…
Relax everyone. It could happen to anyone. He is only human and I am sure IA will scold him.
If this were a military officer, his career would be over.
It would have been over after losing the first weapon.
If he was a civilian, there would have been charges brought against him for losing it. However, the theft might be forgivable.
“Peace officers apparently lose their guns so infrequently that official-types don’t even keep track of the phenomenon on a statewide basis.”
———————————
How many people will have to be robbed or killed before they will start to keep track?
Joe Citizen is required by law to report a lost firearm.
So what’s your point??? Police officers are required to report it too. The statistics just aren’t tracked because it doesn’t happen often. We’re also required to report lost badges and id cards.
Like oldcop says everyone makes a mistake. Observatory1969 and love2ten15. Good points! I was thinking of that myself.
SicknTired, runaway, liberace. I’m with y’all the way bros.
Losing the gun….twice….. IDIOT! Lucky the young person in S.D. didn’t hurt himself with the weapon or kill someone. Different rules for management versus the front line employees.
Being issued the Harley PLUS a car ….. ABUSE OF FUNDS! No problem with the Harley INSTEAD of a car, but it’s one or the other. He could borrow a motor to ride occasionally. Wake up residents of Anaheim. Take a closer look and ask yourselves who is policing the police there. You’d be amazed to know what goes on behind those doors, the blatant abuse of funds and waste of monies.
I just read all of the posts and found them personally biased more than anything. Chief Welter is actually very professional, approachable and genuine. Those who remember the previous leaders of this department will agree he has made an unmeasureable improvement to law enforcement in Anaheim. He has been a supportive and positive role model for newer other city leaders. Like every other human being, he obviously had some bad luck and makes mistakes, too. Let’s not carried away with even hinting he is incompetent. His lack of answering to the media is not a negative. In fact, it’s appropriate. The city has a PIO for this. Let’s give him a break.
ethics101 says:
His lack of answering to the media is not a negative. In fact, it’s appropriate. The city has a PIO for this.
GIVE ME A BREAK!
HIDING BEHIND A PIO IS COWARDLY!
EVEN THE PIO WON’T TOUCH THIS ONE. THIS IS A CLASSIC CASE OF “IF WE IGNORE IT, MAYBE IT WILL GO AWAY.”
LEADERS ARE SUPPOSE TO LEAD…BE OUT FRONT!
TAKE CHARGE!
NOT SIT IN THEIR OFFICE WITH THE DOOR LOCKED, THE LIGHTS OFF AND THE SHADES DRAWN.
WHAT A ZIPPERHEAD!
Come on give the old guy a break its a classic cop move..forget your gun in the car..it gets stolen then he lost it in the street and a child found it and turned it in haha,hey you going to eat that last donut?
What an embarrassment. Another Barney Fife moment for A.P.D.
This was an unnecessary hatchet job by the OC Register. All Chief’s get a police car. Since Chief Welter is also a motorcycle officer he gets a police cycle which happens to be a Harley as are many police motorcycles are Harley’s. He often patrols with other motorcycle officers unlike many chiefs who sit in their offices all day. Guns are stolen all the time from police officers, so why was this story written in the first place?
If my brother waited a few more years he could have found it on the street instead of going to prison for this @&$#. Any officer leaving their weapon in their veichle in the first place is like leaving their kids in a car with the windows rolled up in the middle of July. The first person to see it is going to break the window.
He can find his car keys but he cant find his gun.
How could he loose his gun?
Oh, he’s a harley rider… makes sense.
Ug, me police chief, me harley makum loud noise oooh oooh ah!
The articles have provided a rare look inside the “blue curtain” of law enforcement and even more troubling has identified glaring instances of fraud, waste and abuse. I would encourage Anaheim officials to immediately review policy with respect to police departmental regulations with the storage of firearms and to complete a performance audit to ensure the taxpayers’ money is being appropriately used and allocated and that policy is being followed to ensure that public is not at risk.
In my 10+ years in law enforcement, I am frankly appalled by the police chief’s actions, or lack there of. My agency has specific guidelines with respect to storing weapons in a vehicle and certainly discourages it. However, if the need does arise where I need to store my weapon, my agency has installed in (some) agency vehicles special biometric safes, specially used to store firearms; the safe is bolted to the frame and would require special tools such as a setaline torch and a lot of manual effort to remove the safe from the vehicle. If by chance the safe was removed from the vehicle, again, special tools would be needed to open the hardened safe shell. As an added measure of safety, I personally remove the ammunition from the firearm and then install a special trigger lock on the firearm itself to prevent someone from using the trigger. Under no circumstance is any weapon stored in a privately owned vehicle - that is simply just common sense - something the chief seems to be lacking.
It was also reported the police chief has a city issued Harley Davidson and Dodge Charger that he presumably uses to commute with and to and from his official departmental related functions. I think the argument would be futile that chief of police needs a vehicle so that he could respond to an incident or after hour emergency that requires the presence of its highest ranking officer, plus it is probably in his contract that he has use of city owned vehicle. I do, however, believe that a city owned and issued Harley Davidson and a high performance Dodge Charger used primarily for commuting and business related functions is a glaring example of fraud, waste and abuse. A Ford Taurus or similar lower priced vehicle would be more than adequate for the chief’s use.
Anaheim officials need to begin looking out for the taxpayer and to hold the police chief accountable for his actions.
Since you are not in the Anaheim PD, you should not comment of rules that you are familiar with. A lot of officers may have children or grandchildren at home and may wish to store their weapon in their personal or police vehicle. The Chief is a Motor Officer and sometimes patrols with our other motor officers unlike your chief who probably sits in an office all day. Anaheim is 26 miles from one end to the other and I have no problem with the chief having a police vehicle to respond to emergencies in our city. Granted it is not necessary to respond to every emergency, but it is appreciated when he does. You also don’t know the circumstances of the thefts, so unless you know the facts of the loss of the weapons, please refrain from making comments based on your department and your own personal experience. Chief Welter has 36 years in Law Enforcement and I suspect that you have very little