You think that's funny? Try reading their "Core Values" section of the website. (
http://www.townofaberdeen.net/core_values.htm)
And I quote, from said page:
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, Sans Serif] PROTECTION OF LIVES AND PROPERTY [/FONT]
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The protection of lives and property is our primary responsibility and it is for that purpose that we exist.(1) We must protect all persons against those elements in society, which seek to harm and/or deprive our citizens of their rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We will apply all our resources to the prevention of crime and the apprehension of criminals. We have an obligation to provide the perception of a safe environment and secure neighborhoods, streets, parks, schools, businesses and homes.[/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, Sans Serif]
(2)[/FONT]
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(1)[/FONT] Apparently the people who write the copy for the APD have never heard of "Warren v. DC". Not only is protection of individual citizens NOT their "primary responsibility", they have, by definition of the SCOTUS, "no duty or legal obligation" to do so.
Local PDs are essentially a private security force, under the employ of the corporation that is their employer--the municipality. They exist to keep order among the public, to protect the property of the municipality, and to guard the safety of public officials. They are tasked with INVESTIGATING crimes--AFTER they happen, and with apprehending suspects as determined by the DA or prosecutors office. That is their ONLY legal obligation or duty. Period.
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(2)[/FONT] Notice that phrase in red... "PERCEPTION of safety". They are not tasked with actyally providing REAL safety. They are functionally incapable of doing so, and legally under no obligation to do so. But they are admitting right here, that they are essentially there just to make people FEEL safe... Sad, truely sad...
And it seems like they think the way to ensure their population "feels safe" is to intimidate people who exercise their 2A rights, and threaten them with false arrest, filing false charges, and raping and pillaging their Constitutional Rights...
Get a good lawyer. Right now. Even if they never return your firearm, you should get enough of a judgement (DO NOT take a settlement)--AFTER you WIN the case--to buy several new replacements...
Get a good lawyer.
And one more thing. I know this should have nothing to do with an incident like this but what do you look like? Young, middle-aged, old? Black, white, hispanic, native American? Long hair or short hair?
I'd be willing to be that you don't look ANYTHING like me (middle-aged, slim, clean-cut white guy) which unfortunately may explain the attitude you experienced...