Oakland councilmember questions ATF over stolen rifle

An Oakland city councilmember is questioning the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives after a rifle and Taser were stolen from an agent’s vehicle in Oakland Tuesday.

“Have you already, or will you, order your personnel not to leave guns loose where they can fall into the hands of criminals?” Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan asked in a letter addressed to the ATF’s Special Agent in Charge in Dublin, Ray Roundtree.

The theft happened Tuesday when an ATF agent’s locked car was broken into in front of the federal building in Oakland.

The suspect grabbed a locked green case holding a Colt rifle and a Taser, according to Ginger Colbrun, a spokeswoman for the ATF’s San Francisco Field Division.

The ATF had not recovered the stolen weapon Friday, and announced it was offering a $15,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the person or persons responsible. Anyone with information should call (888) ATF-TIPS or submit an anonymous tip at atftips@atf.gov or at www.atf.gov/contact/atftips.

“ATF considers a lost or stolen firearm a very serious matter,” Colbrun said in a news release. “Our agents are working diligently to make sure these items are recovered as quickly as possible.”

That promise didn’t seem to impress Councilmember Kaplan, who penned the critical letter.

She cited the murder of Antonio Ramos, a “talented 27-year-old muralist” who was killed with a gun stolen from an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent’s vehicle.

“As you know, I introduced and passed legislation in 2015 prohibiting leaving guns unsecured in unattended vehicles,” Kaplan said in the letter. “This is unacceptable.”

Colbrun said she hadn’t seen the councilmember’s letter Friday night and wanted to review it before commenting.