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A New Jersey cop who was spotted sleeping in his patrol car last summer has now lost a loaded handgun, according to his lawyer.
Trenton Police Officer Richard Takach misplaced the Glock semi-automatic handgun in the city's West Precinct parking lot around 3 a.m. on Monday, his attorney Stuart Alterman said.
"It's not a sign of him being careless," Alterman added. "It was an accident. Nobody intentionally loses a weapon. He was changing in and out of his duty uniform to his street clothes. He was transferring his weapon from his duty holster to an off-duty holster. And unfortunately he lost a weapon. He left it on the car or the truck. When he realized it was gone, he called, he drove back to Trenton, they looked for it, and he notified his superiors immediately."
Takach, a 15-year veteran, remained on the job and was scheduled to report for duty Tuesday night.
Takach was suspended in July after a photo was posted online showing him asleep in his patrol car while in uniform.
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Leave a Comment:
Only the police should have guns.
What gets me is that on the rabid outer limits of the pro-gun argument, it's argued that we need to have many more armed guards and a lot more police on the streets... ignoring the fact that these are human beings we're talking about, who are capable of making mistakes just like this. Guards and police with weapons are just as likely as the average civilian nutjob to fall subject to stress, mental illness and having family members/children get a hold of their weapons.
Careless humans plus weapon availability is the problem. Not mental illness alone. Not guns alone. The combination is what contributes to the deadly culture we live in. And let's face it: you can't screen for stupid.
Oh, yea, and before I forget... someone smack that man, please. Thank you!
****
remove asteriks
Hey Barney, Andy wants to talk to you!
"Only cops should have guns." ??? Yeah, like that police officer, right? Besides, if only the cops had guns we'd be speaking German right now!
Some people are NOT cut out to be cops. Ya don't lose a gun, period.
These mf'ing cops kill me. How many cops do you know take advantage of the law, lie, steal, or not do their jobs properly. It's ridiculous, the get away with murder... Bag and tag this Ahole.
@Sum, absolutely not. I will have guns to protect me from morons like our gov't.
@Russ, to call someone dumb and to say someone had a loose gun is hypocritical. Don't you mean lose?
I hope he wasn't guarding a school.
I remember a movie where only the police and military had guns, it was Shindler's list.
so evidently this is the one and only cop station, jail, and parking lot in the entire U.S. WITHOUT the benefit and totally deviod of cameras......???....... B.S.
good thing he has a union rep and lawyer, a repeated history of gross incompetence gets you fired in most occupations.....
He's probably a relative of the chief or some local bigwig...
I remember a country where everyone had guns at one time, it was Cuba.
Guess a couple of you missed the complete sarcasm in Sum's post - we really, really, really need that 'sarcasm font' badly...
you mean back when they were prosperous and free?....and now? ..not so much so...dick.
freedom72
some people would still never get it. they just aren't wired for sarc or humor....pity them , i do.
It seems you just didn't get it and missed the obvious point, one situation led to the other.
Cuba? Like before your good buddy Che Guevara came to town and led a slaughter of anyone who opposed the new dictatorship?
Take another bong hit, kid.
Changing clothes - in a parking lot ? Andy wore his uniform all the time. At the dinner table. didn't carry a gun either - and so never lost it. The Trenton cops should probably go ahead and admit they made a hiring mistake. This guy, sleeping on duty, loosing his weapon is not cut out to be a cop. Perhaps he could be a librarian, medical supply administrator or bus driver.
Lay your crack pipe down and try to relate to the post.
Youdon'tknowjack,good luck in protecting youself from that moron gov.with those popguns while some military person is sitting in a bunker in North Dakota or some other remote place watching your house on a screen and directing a drone to drop a depleted uranum shell in your bed room.
A well armed citizen or militia might have been a good idear for protection from an abusive government in1976 or 1984 when the constitution was written when the government only had black powder weapons,but what the gov. has for weapons now those small arms that the citizens have is nothing more than a water pistol,and they will use those weapons on civilians just ask Japan.
I am sure that you will find some words in here that I did not spell coreectly but I think you will understand what I am trying to say.
i lose mine all the time when ever i come home i hide them. finally i have enough that i dont have to look to long to find one!
Well, if he's sleeping AND gunless, he really can't be harassing anyone, which makes him one of the Better cops in N.J.
Pretty much chance that this story showed up here. I doubt anyone tracks LE lost or misfired guns but it happens, and rarely would it ever lead to firing. We had a cop--detective-- leave his squad car unlocked in his driveway, resulting in the theft of ammo clips, bulletproof vest, and handcuffs (which later turned up when someone stuck in them called 911 for help). Several years ago same officer had sex with an 18 year old in his squad car; the woman was arrested not long after for prostitution (apparently her activity with the officer was not on the job for her, though). He also posted photos of evidence during a drug bust on his FB page There's been one other misbehavior, I forget what. He has been disciplined each time but never fired.
John Nettles--you may be interested to know that those airforce guys in ND (not in a bunker, really) used same drones to ferret out some locals during an arrest on their farm awhile back.
My first question is WHAT was he doing changing his clothing in the parking lot?
If this is such an insiginificant event (losing his gun) as the author suggests why does the cop have his lawyer making statements to the press?
Years ago when they were trying to crack down on who should be disqualified from carrying a weapon (criminals, loonies, etc) the authorities were pshing the standard to include ANYBODY that had a domestic abuse complaint (not just a conviction) filed against them. That would have eliminated about 25% of the police force nationwide.
I have a friend who is a shrink on contract with the state to evaluate police candidates as part of the application process. EVERY candiddate that she recommended NOT be hired was hired despite her evaluation and recommendation.
As a tax payer I am appalled he still has a job. Since when do people knowingly get paid for sleeping on the job especially a job that is "to serve and protect?" Taking his gun is truly the least punishment he deserved.
@Freedom72
Guess you neglected to check her post history to see if it was intended as sarcasm or not. I did and it wasn't.
NEVER just assume anything you've read here was just sarcasm regardless of how crazy it sounds.
Perhaps this officer needed some money so he brought it to one of those silly, dog-and-pony-show government sponsored buy-back programs.
...CONTROL THE PRIVACY
...CONTROL THE CURRENCY
...CONTROL THE FIREARMS
...CONTROL THE WORLD!!!!
--666--
Fire his dumb ass and arrest him for public endangerment. He should be made an example of. Disgusting slob!
I would say this police officer needs a desk job.
He'd probably just lose the desk.
thinking he needs a drug test.
he was changing clothes in a parking lot! OMG and they let him carry a gun, and he lost it OMG!
I envision a Rent-A-Cop job monitoring warehouse boxes in the near future. That is unless the police union does not get him promoted for being a dufass. I am glad it is New Jersey, LOL today.....
I spent 14 years in the military. Losing your weapon was the epitome of being careless and one the cardinal sins.
If a weapon was lost on a field exercise, entire companies of men (120ish) would search the area from arms length until it was recovered or they decided it was truly a loss.
As a police officer you are charged to serve and protect. Losing your weapon in a public space is a failure of that charge. Imagine a child finding that weapon.
This is inexcusable. What would he have to do to be labeled careless by that attorney?
RussH; the public is screwed either way, cause he would probably go on welfare.
Fire that loser. He is dangerous to the public.
How much do you want to bet his gun is used in a crime and hes just gonna say "I dont know how my gun got there, I lost it a while ago." Hes a criminal trying to hide something, just like most cops are!
This clown makes Barney Fife look like a candidate for law enforcement officer of the year.
Sleeping on the job, losing a gun... fire this azzhole asap.
I dont get it. He was changing outside in the parking lot? If he was changing inside, it would have been found by another officer. This makes no sense.
Why does it have to make sense?
Is NY everything is perfect there!
That's why we have to upgrade the psych test instead of lowering the standards and do some type of IQ testing. Certainly, with science and tech as good a it is today, we CAn screen for stupidity, can't we?
Do the police ever really make sense?
of course we can....he is proof... he passed the test , hell he even set new records for it at the police academy.
Hey, rafael! Reading comprehension doesn't work well for you, does it? This happened in NEW JERSEY, not New York. Guess you aren't much smarter than this cop. smh...
I don't get it either. If he changed in a locker room, then the gun would be on a bench or locker. Flat out, he was careless with it and put it on the hood of his car, the same way people leave a coffee cup on there. This guy is the Mark Sanchez of the Trenton police.
Freedom, I mentally keep a count of how many people I see here, when a story involves NJ, that seem to think NJ and NY are the same state. Its scary. rafael! will not be the last, watch..
GM TF
If Sanchez were to throw a football in a forest .....would it still be intercepted?
(snicker couldn't help it, .....go Pat's)
Of course it would. And Rex would still renew his contract.
And this guy is still on the force. Eerie similarities.
TFNJ--that's ok. I live in N Dakota. People--including news anchors broadcasting from oh, NYC and other places--think N and S Dakota are the same state. And when I lived in NM, people thought that was another country.
A few years ago in my home town a cop raped a women in the back seat of his patrol car and then took her out in the desert and killed her with his service revolver and reported it stolen,that lie worked until they searched his patrol car and found the semen in it.
And a few years later from the same station another cop picked up a women off the street and raped her but did not kill her,when they started closing in on him he killed himself,I do not buy this lost weapon crap.
SRmcMahon, I chat with someone on here from NM. And when we first chatted, and he said he lived in New Mexico,someone else chimed in asking why he speaks english and asked if he had ever been to the U.S. lol its amazing.
Sounds like ke was a founder of the Tea Party.
They need to hire Tackleberry and let him conduct an investigation.
SRMcMahon & TFNJ -
I live in RI and people from other states think it's part of NY (that would be valid only if NY had a borough five hours and one state away).
Tackleberry... Is that from Police Academy?
divah2, I guess because it contains the word Island. Too funny. And BTW there is another one who believes NJ and NY are the same state a few pages up.
I guess this is one of the police officers we want to guard our children, in our schools, more guns huh, they can't even keep up with them, how do you know the "crazies" can't?
Immediate termination is in order for breaking the law about allowing firearm access to children.That gun is most likely on the streets.
Holder will be able to get him another one. Oh, and by the way, nice pic.
Holder will be able to get him another one
That would be the NRA.. To them, this is just another gun on the street.. Good for business you know..
All kidding aside Thomas,
The NRA endorses and promotes RESPONSIBLE gun ownwership, this story is an example of IRRESPONSIBLE gun ownership. And by ownership I mean taking ownership of the weapon in a persons possesion. Why would the NRA support this guy, it would go against everything they stand for. Also the NRA's goal is not to put more guns onto the streets, its to make sure that those who do have guns are fully aware of the rights and responsibilities that come with carrying a firearm.
Of course it's on the street. That's where he left it.
This cop should be fired for sleeping on the job, and arrested for losing a loaded hand gun which is gross negligence. Why was he changing clothes in the parking lot, don't Jersey P.D. have a locker room? Number one policy for cops take care of your weapons, he being a cop just makes this worse because of his years on the force, and this guy can't even do his job because he is sleeping on duty in his patrol car. Evidently they are letting him get away with this, which I would be questioning the leadership of this office and fire every one.
Well. how about we let him have just one bullet and his superiors (who would be everyone else in uniform) could tell him when he could load his weapon...when he finds it.
"It´s not a sign of him being careless." lol
Now be fair, it's really not careless.
It's f***ing stupid.
Why is this guy still a cop? Now there's a loaded gun out there in someone's possession because an irresponsible cop, sleepy and tired one at that, doesn't know how to "protect and serve".
union lawyer
WOW, I'm sure glad there are so many perfect employees out there who have never made a mistake in life or bad judgment call. Your employers will surely never let you go.(being facetious here folks)
Just to show you how bad an employee I once was, I was pulling a full college course of 16 credits.To pay for that, holding down two part-time jobs, plus a full time graveyard shift in security- patrolling in my car on a large site. It was winter, well below zero,had been after several storms and in the middle of the night.I had to keep turning my heat on during this one terribly cold night and I was very tired. Getting only two-three hours sleep each day.
Well, I finished my check and parked my car.Turned the radio on, and rubbed my eyes. Next thing I realized, an Police Officer is knocking on my window. He mentioned he saw my car's lights on earlier and when he passed the area ten minutes later, they were still in the same place, so he was checking on me.Checking my watch, nearly fifteen minutes had passed, though I hadn't missed my next check time, I felt horrible! Cracked my window open, and realized, I couldn't push my body that hard anymore. I gave notice the next day, quitting one of my two part-time jobs. Guess I should have been fired,according to most folks. I told my boss what happened, what changes I made. He had no issues at all with it.
It's easy to see a story and become judge, jury and executioner.Feeling ourselves so superior to someone else because of their poor choice, since we'd never do that exact thing, of course.(our errors are different, but just as wrong) Without knowing any other special circumstances which could shed light on what led to that choice.Compassion seems so easy to just refuse to dish out.I have no idea why. It isn't like it will cost us anything to do so.
In any event, I hope those who so quickly want to judge, if they ever find themselves in a position where their judgment is called into question, will remember this story, and hope someone will be more generous to them. We are all humans, and none guiltless in errors of poor judgments. It is how we learn wisdom. If we can learn anything from others mistakes, wonderful.However, we will still make our own. Let's hope they won't be splashed on national news headlines
.
What a sef-serving, holier than thou comment!
Mr Windy;
After seeing some of your posts on other stories as well as this one, I see you are open minded and try to be compassionate using real life personal experiences to draw from on your opinions/judgements.
25 yrs. ago I was in a similar situation employment wise where my 3rd job was security at a truck/trailer drop lot and it was always a standing joke with some of the drivers to see if they could catch me napping (my shift was 7PM > 7AM).
But the experiences we were involved with were not subject to life and death consequences. This man was given a responsble position in our society where he is supposed to be an example of integrity and unfailing servitude (as it seems in our dreams-sarcasm).
His actions are a blemish to his fellow constabulary who do take professional pride in how they do their job. My Grandfather was a Jersey cop and everything from the way he prepared to go to work to the ritual he had when he came home always bespoke of that attitude.
As far as I can see the people here today are not demanding his blood, just to hold him accountable at a level that befits his position in our society.
So where did you misplace your fully loaded weapon?
Make whatever excuses you want. You failed to perform your job properly. Too bad so sad that you had multiple jobs. You chose to have more than one and that doesn't give you a pass to fall asleep while working.
Not to mention, he was also spotted on another occasion asleep in his squad car. You always defend people that do not perform their jobs properly? A person that's asleep when they should be ensuring the safety of the city they are patrolling is OK in your book, right? How many passes should we give this guy? How many times has he not been caught?
Quickly to judge? He has a history of poor work performance. It's not passing judgement, it dealing with an employee that isn't performing their job properly.
He was spotted on camera sleeping in July and now loses a loaded firearm, yet he is still employed. How generous should people be with him?
No, it's how we learn his weapon was used in a crime. A police officer should be the last person to lose a loaded weapon.
If the cop can't handle his job, he needs to find another. Just like you did after you couldn't handle yours.
Problem is his cushy state pension and union, that's what's keeping this guy on the streets, along with his missing Glock.
Falling a sleep at work is one thing I'm sure it has happened to many of us, but thus guy lost his gun, he lost his gun, HE LOST HIS GUN. What in the world was this guy thinking it would be like loosing the pants you are wearing.
GM Windancer...sorry i gotta disagree with that.for several reasons, but that's immaterial anyway this article is about his continued record of ineptitude.
Windancer, I usually agree with you, but, like Scooter, I have to disagree this time. If it was just the episode of falling asleep on the job I'd say okay, he goofed up, he got punished, move on. But losing a loaded weapon? When that weapon turns up at the scene of a homicide, as it very well may, how does anyone justify that to the family affected? A co-worker on my job lost one of the office procurement cards (I hold the other one and you can bet that sucker stays locked up unless absolutely necessary). Turns out she accidentally dropped it into the wrong desk drawer (and it wasn't supposed to be left in the desk, btw, we were both issued lock-boxes to store the cards) and found it two hours later, she'd already cancelled it and had a new one on the way, but the agency still docked her the $500.00 limit the card is set for as punishment. She's never lost it again - lesson learned.
freedom72
what if its already been to one? i mean really, have you ever seen a cop parking lot that DIDN'T have cameras? I would be highly sceptical.
@Windancersong:
This cop lost a loaded firearm. I don't care if a person is "trying to make ends meet." The reality is that he (and yourself) accepted a responsibility. So what, should we just accept that some pilots are "tired" trying to make ends meet, and if they crash planes from time to time, that's okay? Do we accept that some bus drivers are just trying to make ends meet, and if they accidentally fall asleep at the wheel and plow a dozen innocent bystanders down, it's okay?
Think about the implications of a police officer losing his firearm while on duty. I own four firearms, and I have NEVER for a second misplaced one. I've never even misplaced a single round, despite the thousands I've fired. Every round has always been accounted for. If a person doesn't want to accept responsibility for their actions, then perhaps they should not be given responsibility in the first place.
Matt - I have to agree with you. There are certain positions that require an alert professional at all times. If a weapon is involved, the person is responsible for that weapon. I've read police reports where an arrested suspect removed a firearm from a law enforcement officer while being taken into custody. It's just too easy for a gun to disappear from a sleeping deputy or officer and for tragedy to strike because of it.
Most likely this cop has used his gun in some crime and is now trying to blame it on someone else.
The company that I work for everyone that has been caught sleeping on the job has been terminated,law enforcement is the only job that I know about when one can screw up and get a desk job or time off with pay,if it worked like that where I work I would screw more often,and when they are terminate they will file a law suit and most likely get millions.
Windy - Let me make sure I understand this you. If you were a boss/business owner you find it perfectly understandable if your employees make mistakes. So when your employee clocks in tomorrow morning and tells you that he misplaced last night bank deposit that you will write it off as an honest mistake. Of course the missing deposit was only slightly over $10,000.
He's completely irresponsible. Get him off the payroll.
they may, then he will turn up on some others precinct or town payroll.
Time for more cop control laws!
Makes you feel really safe with cops like this around! Does he know where his butt is? LOL!
God attached a smell to his butt so he wouldn't forget where he put it.
What a dink.
same picture in the dictionary. so could be.
No one said he "intentionally" lost his gun. A gun is only intentionally lost when you've done something really horrible with said gun and want to get rid of the evidence. No, what is being portrayed here is a cop who is lazy, and at the very worst, completely irresponsible with a deadly weapon. Ergo he shouldn't be allowed to have one at all.
Now that is a careless police officer. Yea a simple mistake. Now the taxpayer has to flip the bill because it was a mistake. Lawyers have an answer for weverthing. Was the gun loaded. .
sure some law abiding pants on da ground citizen gonna waltz right in and return it.
Mr. John;
THATS WHAT I WAS THINKING!!!! And I believe in the Tooth Fairy, The Easter Bunny, and Santa Clause... And next week I am going to start believing in intelligent Blondes.
it will turn up at the next Trenton "gun buy back" ......barley used.
Or only one robbery.
To Harley Mike:
You capitalized words that shouldn't have been, did not put an apostrophe where it should have been, and misspelled Claus, yet you feel the need to insult the intelligence of all blondes. Hmmm.
Mrs. R.C.;
Over capitalization, improper use of exclamation points, and one misplaced vowel = Extreme sarcasm.
I take it you are a blonde or at least a "Bottle Blonde"? You are welcome to stop by the house here in upstate New York and have a cup of coffee with my wife, three daughters and my little grand daughter, all blondes, all with college degrees (except my granddaughter), and all with I.Q.'s in the triple digit range, and they will confirm that my sense of humor ranges from dry/droll at times to down-right asinine.
I was only trying to out-do Mr. John with his injection of dry humor where we have a range of people today here demanding we take this guy out back of the wood shed and tar and feather him, to allowing him to continue his inept performance as a pillar of our society.
For the sake of keeping the peace here today, please, accept my mae culpa for my faux pas. True denigration of anybody was not my basic intention, only humor.
Sincerely, Shalom, Mike
Well, I'm a blonde, and I have an IQ of 161. My son is blond, and his is outta sight (99.5 percentile). My granddaughter (his daughter) is blonde, and she's smarter than both of us. My niece is blonde, and her IQ is 175. I'm not bragging, I'm just saying you might want to update your stereotype a bit. I have known quite a number of highly intelligent blond/es in my life. Find a different object of ridicule, possibly not a human one.
One of the blonds I knew (in Mensa) told me that his first marriage failed because his wife had the IQ of a cantaloupe. There's one you could hang your hat on.
Mr. Publia;
Please read Post#15.5 again. In it you will see I made an attempt to rectify Mrs. R.C.'s indignation and I believe I gave a good enough example that if my family is able to put up with my corny jokes, it should not be an earth shattering event for the rest of the world. But, if you are merely fishing for an opportunity to compare brain pans and genetic prodgeny...
I was first introduced to the Society known as MENSA in 1975, I speak, read and write Latin and German (since the mid 60's), along with being conversational in Yiddish, Polish, Italian, Dutch, and Spanish. All my daughters are bi/multi lingual, the oldest - Spanish, the middle - Spanish and Farsi and says next year in preperation for her doctorate she wants to study Mandarin(and is being courted by both the FBI & CIA) and also joined the ranks of MENSA 2 years ago, the youngest - Spanish and French. And as far as my friends relationships go, I can introduce you to many people around the world (primarily North America, Europe and Western Asia) that have many different colors of hair that were married to or involved with others of many shades of color that divorced or failed because of everything from intellectual incompatability to cultural differences.
Well I hope this exchange has sufficed any desire for further intellectual comparisons because if you will go to my profile and read some of my previous posts you will see I basically try to go along with the words of Eleanor Roosevelt ~
“Great people talk about ideas. Average people talk about things. Small people talk about other people.”
So, Sir I look forward to engaging in a conversation of ideas on other threads on "The Vine"
Shalom
Mike---the granddaughter doesn't have a college degree yet?! Slacker. I don't care if she's just learned to write her name. Get her one of those big black crayons & get her going on her admission essay. Tell her blondes everywhere are counting on her. Counting even higher than 10!
Mr. BubbaCat;
She turned 6 on 12 DEC 12 and I gave her 7 of the crayola learning / coloring / sticker books and along with all the other presents (dolls, toys, etc.) she had from everybody else, I had to laugh as she gave her attention TOTALLY to her books and didn't play with any of her toys the rest of the afternoon.
On a lesser note, She has been able to count higher than 10 for a while now and dosen't need to take her shoes off to do it. Thanx for the chuckle, Shalom
When guns are outlawed, don't worry because you will still find a cops gun in a parking lot.
Only a lawyer could say that with a straight face. At any rate, I think this guy is not destined to be a cop.
This guy is the epitimy of the average trenton cop, that's why that city never developed after the riots in the 60's
The actions of this man now shows he is qualified to be a Politician
It's OK they make him keep his bullets in his pocket like Barny Fife...
LOL I was thinking the same thing. I would make this guy go through the Police Academy again.
Not too long ago there was a picture of a police car with an AR-15 type assault riffle on the trunk lid parked outside of a coffee shop. I think it was Oregon or Washington state... anyway this happened when another officer placed their LOADED assault riffle on the trunk of the car parked next to them while transfering equipment... then either they forgot it or the Lt. who drove the car to the coffee shop didn't notice it was on the trunk lid...
I don't know the outcome of that incident but believe one of them was suspended for a while.
It happens... people forget they leave drinks on the roof of the car and such.
Give the guy a desk job or a suspension for a while. The weapon was left in the POLICE parkinlot... most civilians wont just walk through there so probably another officer has it and will turn it in.
"so probably another officer has it and will turn it in"....
Or not.
dude its the complete definition of CARELESSNESS, the NYC and The Jersy Cops give you hell when your firearm is stolen or lost but in this case its just an accident, forget about it hey!
This guy could be the poster child for the Anti gun police force, see what happens to the crime rate when the cops don't have guns!
Barney Fife's grandson 2013!
ok looks like his cop days are over and he best hope that no one gets murdered with his gun. and again this story just dont add up.
agreed.
As a runner I have come across many of our dedicated public employees studying the inside of their eyelids.
With cops like him around, who needs gun control laws?