back to article Police appeal for missing Taser

The Metropolitan Police ia appealing for the return of a Taser and four cartridges that were left on the roof of a police car, which was then driven away... A Met firearms officer attended an early morning briefing at Norfolk Row, Lambeth. After the briefing, possibly focussed on coffee and a bacon sandwich, the copper put the …

COMMENTS

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  1. Geoff Campbell Silver badge
    Troll

    "Like a handgun, but made of bright yellow plastic"?

    Specially designed to appeal to kids, then? I predict a very bad day for a sibling somewhere in London, some time soon.

    GJC

    1. Thomas 4

      Hmmm

      ...batteries even come included. An ideal Christmas present for all the family.

    2. Marvin the Martian
      IT Angle

      camouflage

      I'd on the other hand worry how often guns are sneakily lost like this (easier to replace so nobody has to know)? To put a fluo yellow thingy on a roof next to the blue/red lights and not notice is just... strange. So how about a small gunmetal grey thingy?

  2. Danny 14
    Thumb Up

    ebay?

    might find one on ebay.

  3. Anonymous John

    Fat chance.

    Sussex plod lost one in identical circumstances over four years ago. Still missing as far as I know.

    http://www.theargus.co.uk/archive/2006/08/03/The+Argus+Archive/6815000.Stun_gun_still_missing/

    I liked the Daily Mash version today.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      FAIL

      RE: The Argus Version

      Mr Plod says it's safe because the batteries will now be flat and the person in possession of it won't have the correct charger!

      http://www.nonlethaldefense.com/tabachkit.html

      They look remarkably like standard AA Ni-Mh to me - I don't suppose you could pop into a shop in the high street and buy a charger for those!

  4. david 63

    bzzzzzzz....

    aaaargh....bzzzzzz...aaaaargh. And there are 4 reloads too. The gift that just keeps giving.

  5. Lottie

    Hmmm

    If it isn't data it's weaponary.

    I'm sure the plod are the underworlds favoured supplier these days.

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Utterly ridiculous

    Everyone knows that bacon sandwiches are much nicer with a cup of tea. (and HP sauce, obviously)

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Oh goody

    Time for another "Told you so" moment from those who knew they'd end up in criminal hands.

    Countdown to an old lady being mugged with one begins here.

  8. Winkypop Silver badge
    Boffin

    Is this it?

    Owww, ouch, ouch, arrrrrr!

    1. Blofeld's Cat
      Pirate

      Is this it?

      "arrrrrr!"?

      Sounds like you've found a pirate copy.

  9. MinionZero
    Happy

    Hardware hackers web sites

    I expect the missing Taser will reappear on Hardware hackers web sites, probably pulled apart and rebuilt into a power supply for Christmas lights or maybe a new way to catch fish and fry them at the same time. :)

  10. irish donkey
    Coat

    Wouldn't worry

    No policemen will be sacked for this.

    I'm sure he will get a stern talking too (wink wink) and little else.

    As for the FIREARM which is what it is. Try the PUB that were the stuff usually ends up.

  11. Craig 28

    There was a better one a few years back

    In a local supermarket's toilets, in their cafe (before they got turned into Tesco and got rid of the cafe part) a woman from the army went to the toilet while her group were out on some kind of exercise. There was a lot of alarm when people found a gun, type not specified by the old women in question, sitting on the cistern.

    Luckily they managed to get in touch with the army people and get them to go back to collect it, presumably while closing the toilets to the public for everyone's safety. Either that or they realised it was missing and went back to look for it, either way it very luckily didn't get into the wrong hands. I'm assuming it would be a pistol and not a rifle since those are pretty damn hard to forget.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Happy

      I was Kaiser Bill's Batman

      And my stepfather was in the Tank Regiment until invalided out after almost 20 years service. He did a bit of time in Germany in the 50's and told a story of the US base near to where he was stationed losing a 50 tonne tank.

      Not sure of the exact details, but something to with an exercise that went a bit haywire. He said it took them almost a month to locate the missing ordinance.

      Just imagine a load of GIs roaming around Germany "Say buddy, have you seen a tank - about yay big, brown and green, with a goddamn big gun on top?"

      He made no comment about whether it still had the tracks on when they found it.

  12. Anonymous Coward
    FAIL

    A Met firearms officer.

    nuff said.

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Pint

    I once found

    a traffic coppers folder thingy. Metal cover and full of ticket stubs that he'd obviously written that day (loads of them.)

    It too was on the road not very far from (a)The main plod HQ for the county & (b)the main motorway that ran through the area.

    From the looks of the damage on it that wasn't the only time it had picked up some gravel rash.

    Unfortunately for a large number of motorists this was in the days when I still had a vestige of respect for our uniformed enforcers, sorry, police officers. So I called the traffic division. It took me all day to get the damn thing back to it's owner, and he didn't even have the guts to come to the door and accept it himself. He was 'busy'.

  14. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    It will probably be found somewhere in Keystone Road.

    Not far from Mornington Crescent.

    Everyone makes mistakes. The Police make them publicly and in such an awful way.

    I hope non one is hurt. That would make it tragic rather than funny.

  15. Dave 15

    At least we're now safer

    One less weapon in the hands of the police, hard to think of anyone I'd trust less with it than the police.

    (white, balding, over middle aged, above average earning British geezer).

    1. Sarah Bee (Written by Reg staff)

      Re: At least we're now safer

      Why the biog, Dave? Did you feel the need to point out that you're not a 17-year-old anarchist? Well, OK.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      over middle aged, above average earning British geezer

      "Over middle aged, above average earning British geezer"

      Above average earning for the UK, or above average earning for UK middle aged geezers?

      I'd reckon the average *middle aged* geezer has above average earnings for the UK. You could still be above average earnings for the UK and still be earning below average for middle aged geezers.

      1. Just Thinking

        Balding?

        I get that being white, middle aged and a higher earner probably makes you, on average, more likely to trust the police than you would if you were a young black person living in a deprived area. Therefore all the more shocking that you don't trust them.

        But what does being bald have to do with anything?

        1. alwarming
          Joke

          "But what does being bald have to do with anything?"

          That's where he likes his taser.

  16. Michael H.F. Wilkinson Silver badge
    Coffee/keyboard

    BOFH Xmas present

    if ever there was one!!

    The sub title had me in stitches! Bravo!!

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Great plan!

      So, if we find it should we post it to El Reg for his attention?

  17. ShaggyDoggy

    meanwhile, in Norfolk Row Plodshop

    Sorry Sarge I lost the Taser

    Waht !!!

    I lost the Taser, Sarge, left it on the car roof.

    Wahht !!

    It must have fell of, Sarge.

    I'm really sorry Sarge, I must have forgot it.

    Oh don't worry, 1234 Tarquin, here just take this data stick over to the Yard will you, there's a good chap

  18. Simon Neill
    Coat

    I find this...

    ...absolutely shocking.

  19. Da Weezil

    New Owner?

    Just wondering if the BOFH might work somewhere along the route taken by this distracted Officer? Might this soon be seen (suitably modified) in the toolkit? Im sure rigging a charger would be simple to such a skilled individual or indeed the PFY. It has advantages of range over the cattle prod surely?

  20. Tom 12

    No charge

    The old bill have agreed that no charge will be brought against anyone handing it in. Especialluy if the batteries are flat.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Once

      I handed in a sawn-off during an amnesty. The plod behind the desk, filling out the paperwork, asked what was the reason for having it and I said - a little incredulously - "Home defence?". He said I'd better not say that, implying that was illegal and I could be arrested for it. Seems to me the only other reason for having a sawn off would have been even more illegal (whereas I'd just taken about a foot off to stop whacking it against the door frames as I crept about the house).

      I don't recall what he put on the form or whether I found out. Given that I was living in the middle of an inner-city housing estate, I wonder if he wrote that I did target shooting, or game shooting?

      I suppose I _could_ have said I had it for vermin control, which was kind of true.

      1. Sarah Bee (Written by Reg staff)

        Re: Once

        "It's sawn off because of er the lack of storage space in modern accommodation, officer."

        Is it legal to own any kind of sawn-off? Ever?

        1. Blofeld's Cat
          Happy

          Legal?

          "Is it legal to own any kind of sawn-off?"

          It depends on which bit you keep after you cut it in half.

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: Legal

            Or: its funny because its true dept. I still have the other bit. I have wondered from time to time if it'd be considered evidence of a crime having been committed.

        2. Anomalous Cowturd
          Heart

          @Sarah Re: Is it legal to own any sort of sawn-off?

          If the barrel length of a shotgun is under 24 inches, it is classified as a Firearm, and must be held on a Firearm Certificate, which is harder to get than a Shotgun Certificate. You could quite legally take a thirty two inch shotgun barrel and cut eight inches off the end, without requiring re-classification.

          Eight and a bit, and you're in the shit.

          Hope that helps. :o)

        3. william henderson 1

          only under section 5 of the firearms act

          and therefor, generaly out of the reach of the public.

      2. Vincent Ballard
        WTF?

        Amnesty?

        Isn't arresting someone who's handing something in during an amnesty rather missing the point?

  21. Anonymous Coward
    WTF?

    This is exactly why they aren't given real guns

    [See title]

  22. Richy Freeway
    Thumb Up

    I'm going to patent

    The magnetic Tazer.

  23. Anonymous John

    <Anne Robinson>

    Later on we talk to Frank Jackson of South London whose child was injured on Christmas Day by a faulty toy gun he bought in a pub. That's Watchdog! </Anne Robinson>

  24. william henderson 1
    FAIL

    didn't they ban

    cluster bombs partly because they were pretty colours that appealed to kids?

  25. Inachu
    Unhappy

    HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!

    Over 30 years ago as a lil kid I started collecting keys as a super easy hobby.

    Over the years I have collected many many lost keys. all sort of keys. Big keys, small keys

    Even simple keys(for toys) and even new keys and very old house skeleton keys.

    What I did not know was at the time one of the keys I had was a police ANY key/universal key.

    So anyway at age 27 I finally got my own place and willfully informed the apt management that I collect keys since I was a lil kid and if they ever have a person locked out of their apartment they can come running over to me for some help as I had so many I am sure one of them would work.

    And I was right and a pretty lady came knocking on my door askign for help. I finally got her door open and the apaartment mgt told me to hand over all my keys and if I dont then I have to move out and leave...... Grrrr!!!!! it was a police officer who finally ended up getting and owning my key collection. I begged them and told them it was my lifes collection but they didnt care.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!

      ""What I did not know was at the time one of the keys I had was a police ANY key/universal key."

      Did you press it to continue?

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Thumb Down

      Cute story

      But despite what you may have seen on the Simpsons, there's no such thing as a "universal key". Although, police and other emergency workers do sometimes jokingly refer to anything that can be used for smashing down a door as such.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        "Master Key"

        Mk I: Opens any padlock.

        It's got two long handles going to a lever assembly attached to two short blades. Open the handles, put the blades around the shackle of any lock, and close the handles. Also known as a bolt cutter.

        Mk.II: Opens any door:

        Long fiberglass handle, attached to a a 20 lbm. head, flat on one side, optionally tapered on the other. Also known as a splitting maul or sledgehammer.

        Mk.III: Opens any keyed lock: A torsion wrench and a number of small metal bits. Also known as lockpicks.

        In general, you're lucky if a random key fits into a random keyway, much less actually works on the tumblers. I've got the decent collection myself: House keys from several houses I no longer live in, mailbox keys for mailbox I no longer have, keys from employers I no longer work for, and the ones I still use.

  26. Anonymous Coward
    Linux

    Police appeal for missing Taser

    Someone is going to install Linux in it.

  27. Trygve

    No, they didn't.

    Ban them, that is. Many of the bomblets certainly are brightly coloured and attractive to kids (and also easily confused with food aid packages) but no-one really cares about that sort of thing unless either the Israelis or the Princess of Wales are involved.

    1. Tim #3

      Ummm

      She's rather unlikely to be involved nowadays. But as I'm not keen on being a bearer of bad news perhaps you could ask a nearby Daily Mail reader to break it to you.

  28. Fuh Quit
    Thumb Up

    Just Google "Jackass YouTube"

    you'll find some youfs tazering the crap out of each other and dumping it when the battery needs recharging.

  29. WhoMurderedDemocracy

    Finders Keepers

    Zappppp! Zappppp!.................painful squealing heard............weeeeee! weeeeeee! this is fun and to think i was only looking down on the ground for dropped loose change.

  30. Anonymous Coward
    Happy

    Police ANY Key?

    I thought the Police ANY/Universal key was big, red and sometimes required two officers to carry it.

    Often referred to as "the enforcer".

  31. Scorchio!!

    Discipinary?

    As a soldier I'd have been charged for a firearms offence, and it is one reason why I'm not very enthusiastic about paramilitaries carrying firearms, even if only electrical .

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Thumb Up

      RE: Discipinary?

      Ah, but this is the organisation of “specially trained” “experts”…..

      ….. who can discharge a weapon at 90 degrees to the axis of the range, and fail to report it to range control, up until the point that the local vet comes round to ask how a 9mm ended up in a horse he just treated.

      Who can wound a civilian colleague in a training room, because they didn’t “THINK” it was loaded

      Etc, etc………….

      1. Scorchio!!

        Re: Re: Disciplinary?

        I know, I know. Doesn't give me much faith in their capabilities. Especially since some of their firearms trained officers are ex forces. Oh, but wait, I was once nearly killed by a fellow soldier who'd put one in the breach and *failed* to apply the safety. Duh.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Thumb Up

          Re: Re: Disciplinary?

          Firearms safety comparisons between the police and military would be an interesting and useful bit of information for the government to publish.

          The last time I had access to UK Military safety comparisons, they where quoted per 100k rounds fired, and started with a decimal point and a several zero's.

          The batting order was RAF was the safest, followed by the RN, and the Army came last. (this may be due to the old familarity breeds contempt issue)

          Given the relatively small number of police firearms officers, the number of publicly known accidents is worrying, especially as they seem to be concentrated in the met and thames valley.

  32. Anonymous Coward
    Alert

    NASA approved data sanitisation tool

    Install drive on prods. 3 seconds of zapping, done. :-)

    AC, because 80,000 volts of it does considerably less damage than 240V@50Hz.

  33. mhenriday
    Pint

    Suggest that the copper gets it back -

    only after being tasered ten times, so that he understands what sort of weapon it is that he's wielding (or leaving on car roofs, as the case may be)....

    Henri

  34. JaitcH
    FAIL

    In case of risk of Tasering risk get new clothes!

    There are several commercial products available now to neutralise Tasers, and their ilk, from spray on high-conductivity sprays (like anti-static or anti-stain sprays).

    For those participants in G20 or education fee hikes, more effective tailored clothing might prove effective. See: < http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/safety/taser+proof-gear-is-great-for-students-political-activists-criminals-318169.php >, < http://catmanslitterbox.blogspot.com/2009/08/defeating-tasers-and-other-non-lethal.html >, < http://www.thorshield.com/prod01.htm >.

    Question: How come Plod doesn't order / use the lanyard / tether option - or are they just too cheap?

  35. Rogerborg

    But they'd never do this with a real firearm

    But they treat tasers with the same respect as real firearms.

    But they'd never do this with a real firearm.

    But they treat tasers with the same respect as real firearms.

    But they'd [HEAD ASSPLODES]

    1. TeeCee Gold badge
      Coat

      Re: HEAD ASSPLODES

      Is that a snide reference to ACPO?

  36. Anonymous Coward
    Happy

    In defence of the police ...

    .... I would just like to say ....

    .....

    ....

  37. Anonymous Coward
    Happy

    Keeping the Guns off the streets - Police Job Number 1.......

    Hm, who needs to worry about imported weapons when the police leave theirs behind on a semi-regular basis.

    At least this time it was 1 semi-lethal taser, rather than a case full of pistols falling out of the van on the way back from the range.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      IT Angle

      Semi-lethal?

      You mean, you only die a little bit?

      Jeez... your English teacher just shot himself with a probably-lethal shotgun...

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Headmaster

        Re-Semi-Lethal

        The weapon is not lethal to all targets, but is lethal to specific groups (heart defects, pace makers, etc.), hence it is semi-lethal.

        Reduced Lethality (Home Office term) would indicate that is less likely to cause lethal injury in ALL persons.

        But given the average citizen thinks they are non-lethal, it is a fine distinction that is lost on most people

  38. tony trolle
    Stop

    yep AA

    batteries, I know coz I was looking at a Taser the other night the X26C.

    It is a civilian model thus the C in the model name but believe or not Tasers can have firmware upgrades ! The X26C also has more black plastic and less yellow plastic

    Pricewise I can buy both a Smith & Wesson Stainless 6" .357 and a pocket Rossi stubby 2in .357 for less.......

  39. The main man

    I found the gun

    And sold it on ebay for a tidy sum thank you. I also found the missing cash that was left ontop of the car which i have deposited into my bank account and i am living it large:)

  40. Anonymous Coward
    Jobs Horns

    Electricity is good for....

    They say a mild stimulating electrical current enhances sperm production.....

    Here let me try it, "Yahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh"..... Ohhhh that was good..... "Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa"......

    "Here you try it", Oooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww" Yahhhhh far out!!!!"

    Teenage Tazer craze sweeps Britain - overtakes Viagra....

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