MALDEN, Mass. (WPRI) — A Massachusetts State Police rifle was stolen out of a locked cruiser one night this week in Malden, according to officials.
Investigators say the rifle was taken out of the cruiser parked in an apartment complex parking garage where the trooper lives sometime late Wednesday or early Thursday.
The lock on the front driver’s seat had been broken, officials said, and the rifle and ammunition that were stolen were in a locked compartment inside the cruiser.
Former Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis said officers take many steps to secure their weapons, making it more of a sophisticated break-in.
“There is usually a process of things to go through to get that thing open. That would indicate inside knowledge of how systems work,” Davis explained. “That doesn’t mean someone within the police agency, but someone who may work in the industry.”
State police hope surveillance video from the garage will help them track down a suspect, but it’s unclear if the cameras were working.
The cruiser has since been towed away as part of the investigation.
