Deputies: Salinas police officer’s gun, badge stolen

UPDATE 4/18/2016 10:15 PM:The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office is looking for another stolen gun from the Salinas Police Department after a string of car burglaries and thefts in the Las Palmas neighborhood.

“We have to take steps to make sure that it’s not a target, that it’s not something people would say ‘oh it’s easy to come in here and commit some crime’,” said Michael Aspland, a Las Palmas Ranch board member.

Also a retired police officer, Aspland said the South Salinas community has private security. But the sheriff’s office said that didn’t stop thieves from stealing from three cars from Sunday to Monday, including a Salinas police officer’s.

“Unfortunately right now we have this string or groups of people or one or two people going around. They find a neighborhood where stuff’s in the vehicles, the vehicle is unlocked, they are easy targets so they are stealing stuff and burglarizing,” said Cmdr. John Thornburg with the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office.

Investigators said the officer’s car wasn’t locked and a handgun, badge and uniform were stolen.

Just last month the Salinas Police Chief Kelly McMillin’s rifle was taken from his car during a string of burglaries in unincorporated Monterey County. His rifle still hasn’t been found, but besides the theft there’s another concern.

“If something were to happen, any officer that lost their weapon in this particular fashion would feel devastated over the fact that the gun that they had, that they owned, was taken by somebody and was used in a way that hurt somebody else,” said Thornburg.

“The easiest defense is to just put things away because typically in my experience it was criminals went for the easy grab,” said Aspland.

PREVIOUS: The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office said it’s investigating a vehicle theft involving a Salinas police officer who had a gun and badge stolen.

The sheriff’s office said they received three car burglary/theft reports out of Las Palmas area in Salinas on Monday.

This comes just weeks after Chief Kelly McMillin’s assault rifle was stolen out of his car. Joseph Twiford Sutton is accused of the theft. He pleaded not guilty on March 28.

Stay with KION NewsChannel5 for the latest on this developing story.