Someone on the Hamsexy Forums posted this disgraceful attempt at profiteering on the backs of tragedy.
eBay user URICRETE, according to the item description, found a police duty belt while he was supposedly working with relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Instead of returning the belt to it’s rightful owners or somehow using it, he decides to try and make a fast buck on eBay by selling it, radio and all. Here is the description from the auction listing:
Hi and thanks for looking. Up for auction today is an actual police issue police belt with radio found in the wake of hurricane Katrina. I was down in Kenner, La (about 10 miles from New Orleans) and while helping to restore power I came across several abandoned items in a cardboard box that appear to have belonged to a former police officer or deputy sheriff in New Orleans. It’s my suspicion that these items belonged to one of the cops that left as the city started to fall apart. An important note is these items were not found in a flood zone or an area that had been flooded. In this auction I am including what I found (see picture below): the standard issue police belt, a Motorola Police Radio, a set of handcuffs made by the American Handcuff co, all accessories attached to the belt including the holster for the gun (I’m guessing a .357), two (2) speed loader round holders, a mace holder, handcuff holder, a radio holder, a baton holder and also a dress holster for the same size gun as the one with the belt. This stuff looks really impressive and I can only imagine the stories if these items could talk! To anyone that collects police memorabilia these items are very unique in their own right and should go down as part of history. I accept money order, personal check and paypal. Shipping will be $20. To the winning bidder upon request I will provide proof that I was a member of the Entergy Emergency Response Team in New Orleans, Louisiana. Please let me know if you have questions and good luck!
A few posters on the Hamsexy Forums brought up a few interesting points about this auction:
– Raeburn reports: “Exeter NH eh? I think that Exeter NH just a new radio system installed, or atleast I had heard they went to a new system… It wouldn’t surprise me if this was a ploy by this jagoff to make some money off some old equipment. I know for a fact that a “local” dealer uses blue and silver stickers… quite similar to that one.”
– Seth N3JFW reports: “They [New Orleans Police] don’t carry revolvers … Or use mtx classics. It’s a scam”
– Robert KG6EAQ reports: “He was getting paid to be down there. No one that went down there for Entergy was “volunteering.”
– Mr. Syntrx reports: “Ain’t New Orleans on 800 EDACS?”
So the verdict isn’t in yet…. is it a scam? Is this a real “duty belt”? Either way, URICRETE feels pretty confident in himself to try and make a few bucks off of Hurricane Katrina and her victims. I’m sure he sleeps quite well at night.
UPDATE: eBay has removed the auction, most likely because a bunch of Hamsexy Forums members who are police officers requested that eBya remove the auction through their official channels. I put a mirror of the site up – for as long as it lasts…
This is a new low even for the hamsexiest of the hamsexy!
Some google searching shows that “TOMBA” communications had the contract to outfit the public service at the New Orleans Convention Center with radios….
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-04-1091A1.txt
I would imagine that radio is leased from TOMBA, and I am sure they might want it back, being the rightful owners. I am not trying to condone what this thief is doing, but there may be something legit with it.
However, it seems that Tomba may be out of business.
Even if Dude’s story was legit, selling this stuff is problematic.
An attorney would tell you that the basic rule in sale of personal property is that a FINDER only can transfer the rights that he has. And, he would continue, the FINDER, by finding the property has in no way extinguished the rights of the true owner. So, whoever may have owned that can always come back and ask for his belt back, no matter who has it.
So, obviously, anyone who would buy such a silly item does it at his own risk.
That’s what a lawyer would say. But, then again, who wants to talk to a lawyer?!
Dang lawyers!
SMS
And even then, don’t most cops put their name/badge number on their property…. such as their duty belt?
The bottom line is that the guy is either a lier or a looter. Maybe he can come on hamsexy and tell us which one he is.