Today In Responsible Gun Ownership

The same Keystone Kops outfit that took 16 hrs. to realize that three dangerous criminals were no longer in their county jail just keeps losing things. What'd they lose now?

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department revealed Wednesday that efforts are underway to locate an AR-15 rifle that was lost by a deputy.

The deputy realized the rifle was missing about 3:15 a.m., according to Orange County sheriff’s Lt. Jeff Hallock. He had placed it on the trunk of his patrol car as he was preparing for work about 7 p.m. Tuesday, got distracted, and then drove off, Hallock said.

Deputies have been scouring the streets he traveled in Aliso Viejo and Laguna Hills, but have been unable to find the gun, Hallock said. Reserve deputies and bloodhounds have joined the search, he said.

"Please help us find our lost toy." How embarrassing:

#OCSDPIO: NEWS RELEASE - Missing AR-15 Patrol Rifle pic.twitter.com/tAiOeFaXt2

— OC Sheriff, CA (@OCSD) January 27, 2016

PHOTO (similar) of the missing AR-15 w/ case: Model Colt M-16, pic.twitter.com/NEGQYPO3lq

— OC Sheriff, CA (@OCSD) January 27, 2016

[City News Service]

CONTEXT: SoCal Sheriffin' is pretty much a pathetic joke:

Michael S. "Mike" Carona (born May 23, 1955) is a convicted felon and former Sheriff-Coroner of Orange County, California. The Sheriff was the elected head of the Orange County Sheriff's Department. He gained national prominence during the hunt for the killer of Samantha Runnion. After the quick capture of her murderer, Alejandro Avila, late night television host Larry King dubbed him "America's Sheriff" during an interview.

In late 2007, a federal grand jury indicted Carona, his wife, and his alleged longtime mistress on corruption charges. He resigned effective January 14, 2008, and was convicted on one count of witness tampering a year later. He was sentenced to 66 months in prison and on January 25, 2011, turned himself in to a federal prison in Colorado to start serving time on the conviction. In May 2015, he was released to his Orange, California home for home confinement after being released from Federal Medical Center, Lexington and spending time at a halfway house in Los Angeles County.

(Was he detoxing at Lexington?)

Leroy David "Lee" Baca (born May 27, 1942) is a former Sheriff of Los Angeles County, California.

He was re-elected to a fourth term in 2010. He has been criticized for proposing a half-percent sales tax increase in 2004 to hire more deputy sheriffs, placing friends on the payroll, taking of gifts and for releasing inmates from the Los Angeles County Jail.

On January 7, 2014 Baca announced that he would retire at the end of January 2014 before the expiration of his term.

Smart enough to get out before they could charge him, at least.