A federal police officer?s handgun stolen from the Federal Reserve Bank of Baltimore is still missing, city police said Thursday.
The gun went missing Nov. 9 from its locked case in the bank?s Law Enforcement Department and despite lengthy searches has not been found, said David Beck, who is the bank?s senior vice president.
All weapons on the bank?s premises are secured in locked cases to prevent such events, and police are not disclosing how the gun was removed.
“We do have some ideas of how that happened, but I wouldn?t be releasing that,” Beck said.
Beck could not say whether the handgun was stolen by an outsider or a bank employee with access to the case.
The Federal Reserve police would not confirm whether one of their officers was penalized for the theft.
Beck said the Federal Reserve Bank police report to him but he could neither confirm nor deny that an officer was suspended in connection with the theft.
“In discipline situations of employees, there?s certain situations where we would suspend an employee ? this is not an exception,” Beck said.
In a Nov. 13 letter obtained by The Examiner, Beck informed the bank?s 180 employees of the theft and asked them to comply with increased screenings.
“This is a very serious matter under intense investigation by our management and outside federal agencies,” Beck wrote.
“The safety of everyone in this building is of utmost concern.”
Baltimore City police are investigating the theft and have not made any arrests, said Officer Troy Harris, police spokesman.
The bank, located on South Sharp Street in Baltimore City, serves as the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond?s product office for check operations, product development and overall check product management.
The bank serves financial institutions in Maryland, the metropolitan Washington, D.C., area, Northern Virginia, northeastern West Virginia and southern Pennsylvania.
