With authorities on the search for a stolen firearm, Taser and pepper spray, a veteran officer is facing disciplinary action after leaving his duty belt in the back seat of his unlocked personal vehicle.

Authorities would not release the officer’s name pending an internal investigation, but said the officer had breached a serious violation of department policy by leaving his full duty belt unattended in his private vehicle.

“There is no one who feels worse about this than the officer who had the items being stolen,” said Capt. Shawn Patten. “We’re a professional organization and we pride ourselves in integrity and accountability and depending on where the investigation takes us, the officer is facing some harsh consequences for a serious violation.”

Police said the equipment was stolen sometime between Nov. 16 and Nov. 17 outside the officer’s Windham residence. Authorities in that neighboring town have launched a second criminal investigation into the theft in cooperation with detectives in Salem and in nearby Derry.

Police officers in Salem have a locker inside the department to store their equipment and a gunlock for their firearms, according to Patten. He would not specify what disciplinary actions may be taken against the officer following the internal investigation, but said it would be on par with the violation of the department’s policy.

Without any leads or suspects at this time, Windham Police Chief Gerald Lewis said recovering the officer’s weapon may turn out to be a difficult case for the department.

“It’s all dependent on the individual or individuals who took it, how old they are and what their intentions are,” Lewis said. “It could be someone who took it at the time and has it hidden away and they don’t know what to do with it or someone has it and now they’re afraid to come forward because of the repercussions. It’s an open book right now.”

Law enforcement officials are asking anyone with more information to contact the police department at 434-5577. According to Lewis, residents who may have witnessed something suspicious – like an individual hanging around vehicles late at night – often fail to report the information until after the investigation is finished.

Lewis said communities across the country were dealing with similar crimes, with thieves stealing computers, GPS devices and PDAs from inside parked vehicles. With similar incidents in nearby Derry, Lewis said he believed the theft was “a crime of opportunity” and that the officer or his equipment had not been individually targeted.

Recovering the officer’s firearm remains the top priority for law enforcement officials in all three towns. Lewis has also advised his officers to exercise caution while responding to calls in the area of the crime scene, which police would not disclose.

“It may not necessarily be a crime of violence that they respond to. Potentially anything we respond to we many have someone who is in possession of a firearm,” Lewis said.