Posted: March 6, 2006 

News About the Surplus Property Theft

Click here for the latest information (last updated 09/06/2006)

It is crucial that the Department of General Services communicates its commitment to protecting the citizens and property of the Commonwealth. The following is a brief history of our discovery of the weapons theft, our involvement in the investigation, and the actions we are taking to safeguard the citizens and property of theCommonwealth.

Brief History of Weapons Theft

First and foremost, we are committed to operating safe and secure surplus property warehouses. There are two surplus property warehouses. One is located in Richmond and the other warehouse is located in Wytheville. Weapons were stolen from the Richmond surplus property warehouse. The following is a synopsis of the events as they have unfolded:

February 22, 2006

On February 22, 2006 the Department of General Services was informed weapons were missing from the Richmond Surplus Property Warehouse and that a theft had taken place. We immediately requested assistance from the Virginia State Police. From the beginning we were concerned about the citizens of our Commonwealth and how such a theft could occur. We have aggressively worked in cooperation with the State Police to recover as many of the missing weapons as possible. We immediately took the following actions:

• Worked With the Virginia State Police to Identify and Recover Missing Weapons
• Increased Security at the Richmond Warehouse
• Augmented Managerial Review
• Conducted Inventory of Sensitive Items
• Relocated Remaining Weapons
• Instituted New Policies/Procedures
• Began Drafting Additional Policies and Procedures

March 3, 2006

On March 3, 2006 the Department of General Services learned a temporary employee was arrested in connection to this theft and that there was an impending arrest for a DGS classified employee. We are deeply troubled that DGS employees would be connected to this theft. We are expeditiously reviewing our operations and are dedicated to taking the necessary steps to ensure the safety of our citizens.

On March 3rd we took the following actions:

• Removed Remaining Weapons
  We removed and relocated all weapons to the Virginia State Police Surplus Property location.
• Closed Surplus Property Warehouses
  We have ceased acceptance and distribution of items at the Richmond and Wytheville surplus warehouses for both the State and Federal Surplus Property programs.
• Removed All Temporary Employees
  We have dismissed all temporary employees in the surplus property warehouses until further notice.
• Conducting 100% Inventory
  We are procuring an independent third party to conduct inventory for both State and Federal Surplus Property programs for the Richmond and Wytheville locations.
• Canceled Public Auction
  The public auction scheduled at the Richmond location has been canceled and additional public auctions may be canceled.

The Department of General Services Commitment

We are saddened this situation has occurred and are steadfast in our resolve to safeguarding the property of the Commonwealth by determining new approaches to improve the way we do business. We are exploring new approaches to warehouse processes in order to operate a more secure, reliable, and better warehousing environment.

As we work with the Virginia State Police and other law enforcement agencies and as we make changes in our procedures we will continue to inform the citizens of the Commonwealth.