Originally Posted by
FliesWay2Much
Geez -- I looked up the cost of a Ruger revolver on the Worldwide Web and they come in at somewhere between $250-$300. Other than the TSA's screw-up, one wonders about the judgment of this cop voluntarily surrendering herself in a foreign country. For me, it would have been a no-brainer to eat the $300 and loose the revolver somewhere. If the gun was registered, I don't know if she would have had to report it "missing" when she got back to CA.
Although I was quick to blame the TSA, perhaps the cop flashed whatever badge she had to flash in order to bypass the checkpoint?
What you are describing is a crime that's much worse than accidentally bringing a firearm on a commercial airliner.
I don't know about police departments in California, but in my county, police officers must register their personal firearms if the said firearms are carried while on-duty. How will she explain her lost gun to mysteriously turn up in a foreign country thousands of miles away. It will take 2 seconds for them to figure out she was connecting or visiting that country. Another 2 seconds to figure out that she was lying about a lost/stolen gun. Most likely she'll be fired and possibly face prosecution somewhere.
Self-surrendering was the best course of action. Sure, she may get in some trouble, but if it was an honest mistake, she'll probably face nothing more than a reprimand.
It's the TSA guys at LAX who must be sweating like hogs right now...
