Do any LE agencies sell/auction seized weapons?

[surprise_i'm_armed]

srothstein & papacub:

Thanks for the places where these weapons are sold.

What I was hoping for would be a free-for-all kind of police auction
where you could pick up weapons at a bargain price.

Since these weapons have gotten into the system at authorized
dealers, it seems like they would just be priced at retail, just like
any other gun store.

[NuBer92]

i bet they use some dirty guns for "undercover" work or a sidejob

[srothstein]

Do you know how TABC ends up with weapons?

Sure do. It is actually a misconception that all TABC does is handle the bars themselves. they are a state police agency with full police powers. They investigate any crime that involves alcohol anywhere in Texas. This includes any crime that occurs on a licensed premise.

So, they investigate things like shootings, drugs, and prostitution that occur in bars. As such, they get to seize the evidence like any other police agency. They were one of the agencies that made a big international case on human slavery in Houston a couple years ago. It started with some TABC agents catching underage prostitutes in a bar and listening to them instead of just booking them. They do work with other agencies, like the FBI and INS in that case, and many local agencies. Most of the time, TABC works with the local agency and lets them do the seizures, but not always.

As an aside on one of their more important jobs, TABC is responsible for what they call source investigations. Any fatality accident, or serious injury accident, that is caused by a DWI is investigated by TABC. They have to determine the exact location where the driver was last served alcohol. Then they take action against the bar if they violated the rules on serving a drunk. The results of the case also help local agencies with the manslaughter case and the survivors with the civil suits.

[pbwalker]

The City of Houston still auctions off rifles and shotguns, but will only sell to FFL's. They currently have 10 rifles and shotguns in their auction.
Auction website is
http://www.publicsurplus.com/sms/housto ... orgid=4154" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Are there FFL's who will bid / proxy on your behalf? Or is that unheard of?

[surprise_i'm_armed]

srothstein:

Wow, thanks for the update on all that TABC works on. I had no visibility to their
powers.

FYI: Another set of LEO's that you don't hear too much about are the US Postal Service
Inspectors (I'm not sure this is their exact title).

Many crimes have a component to them where fraudulent documents are mailed from the
scammer to the victim. As long as something is travelling through the USPS, be it a letter or
a package, the Postal Inspectors have the authority to be involved.

My understanding is that they keep somewhat of a low profile so bad guys will
continue to use the Post Office to do their evil. The USPS will provide the evidence gathered
to other LE agencies to do the prosecution.

DNA evidence has been gathered from the stamps that the bad guy licked to send the document.
But now most stamps are pre-glued, so they gather DNA from where the envelope was licked to
seal it.

[ddcarter3]

StewNTexas:

That reminds me of a visit we took to Hot Springs, Arkansas on Labor Day weekend of
1997, which was the weekend that Lady Diana died.

We took a lake ride on the military surplus DUKW's (ducks) which are the amphibious
trucks that the US military used during WW II. It was very scenic and cool to drive on the
roadways, then just go down a ramp into the lake and it's a boat too.

Well the story was told that at some point local law enforcement decided that the area slot
machines would be seized during a LEO raiding party. The slot machines were removed from
all the illegal places, taken onto a boat, and dumped in that beautiful lake that Hot Springs
surrounds.

The creepy thing about the "duck" ride was that shortly after we took our ride, maybe in 1998
or so, one of the ducks sank in the lake with loss of life due to drowning. When the duck sank,
many people didn't jump out of their seats quick enough. The ducks had a sun-shading awning on
top and this trapped the victims and brought them down with the duck. For all I know, the one
that sank might have been the same one we rode on in September 1997.

I actually drove one of the Ducks in Lake Hamilton, AR. In 1968 on a family vacation.
Small world, I was able to visit about 10 years ago on business. I spoke to an old timer there. She remembered the motel we stayed in. The only one with a swimming pool in 1968. Oh, to be 6 years old again. Not a care in the world.

[roberts]

I know a lot of guys were trolling with magnets, with little on no success.

We never found anything. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.