Republican House candidate Alison Esposito’s off-duty firearm, police identification and shield were stolen from her unlocked car in a 2016 incident that led to a reprimand by her superiors at the New York Police Department, according to documents obtained by POLITICO.
It was recommended that Esposito, who is challenging first-year Democratic Rep. Pat Ryan in a crucial House district, be docked 20 vacation days for failing to safeguard the firearm, according to a disciplinary record.
The stolen items — including Esposito’s off-duty handgun, described as a Smith & Wesson 9 mm, her NYPD identification card and police officer’s shield — were not recovered, according to an incident report filed with the Cornwall Police Department.
“Like many New Yorkers, Alison fell victim to crime,” Esposito spokesperson Ben Weiner said in a statement. “A criminal, repeat offender, brazenly broke into her vehicle, parked on private property, and stole her bag right from her car, taking with it multiple personal items that were never returned.”
It’s not clear who stole the firearm and other items from Esposito’s car. Weiner in a follow-up conversation said he could not explain how the campaign knows the person is a repeat offender.
My company has a policy to keep company equipment in locked trunks, even if most of us just have expensive laptops.