Explanations Mount After Guns Stolen From Los Angeles City

LOS ANGELES COUNTY, CA -- A city official in Los Angeles County is offering a couple different explanations after it was made public that it owned a vault full of guns even though it doesn't have a police department. The city of Compton announced earlier this week that 31 firearms from a vault in the old City Hall building was stolen.

But, the city hasn't had a police force for nearly 20 years. So, why does it have weapons?

City Manager Cecil Rhambo Jr. gave the Los Angeles Times two different explanations.

"Rhambo said he was talking to a code enforcement officer who mentioned the city owned a stash of guns stored in the fire department and the old city hall building," the newspaper reported. "At one point, the city had 45 gun-carrying code enforcement officers."

"He speculated also that they could have been purchased as part of an effort to bring back the city's police department," the Los Angeles Times wrote.

As officials explain why the city owns hundreds of weapons, law enforcement is working to track down the stolen guns.

Investigators believe the firearms were taken some time between March 6 and Aug. 31, 2017, according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the ATF. Anyone with information about the missing firearms was urged to call (800) ATF-GUNS, or the ATF Long Beach office at (818) 265-3760.

Read the full Los Angeles Times story here.

--City News Service contributed to this report/Photo via Shutterstock

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Someone Stole 31 Guns From Compton PD Vault