Ansonia Fire Chief Ron Burgess Sr. had stored two guns in his city office “for safe keeping” because he was hosting a party at his house earlier this month.
That’s what Burgess told Ansonia police, who are investigating the theft of the two guns and several pieces of city firefighting equipment from the Fire Chief’s office in the public works complex.
“According to the fire chief, the guns were stored there for safe keeping for the weekend prior,” Police Chief Kevin Hale said Tuesday. “He was having a social event at his house.”
A message seeking comment was left with Burgess Tuesday afternoon.
Burgess told police he had brought the guns to the office on Saturday Aug. 6, Hale said.
The break-in and theft from the office happened sometime between the night of Aug. 8 and the morning of Aug. 9.
When public works employees showed up to work on Aug. 9, they noticed a busted back door to the building.
The fire department reported $6,000 worth of equipment stolen from the office. Burgess also had two personal guns stored there, a Smith and Wesson, 9 mm handgun and a Smith and Wesson 5.56 caliber rifle. The guns, along with ammunition for the rifle, were stolen from the office.
They were inside Burgess’s office, unlocked in two cases, police said.
Burgess has been on administrative leave since Aug. 10 because the guns were stored there without Mayor James Della Volpe’s permission or knowledge.
Burgess legally owned the guns and is not facing criminal charges, police said.
But the city has decided to conduct its own internal investigation into the incident, according to Della Volpe. The results of that inquiry could determine Burgess’s fate with the department.
“I’ve read the police report and I have some questions based on it,” Della Volpe said Tuesday.
Della Volpe said a labor attorney — Fran Teodosio — will conduct an interview with Burgess to get more information about why he had the guns stored at the office, and who, if anyone, gave him permission to do so.
Della Volpe said he did not know about the storage, and would not have given permission to store the guns there.
“I have never authorized the storage of firearms at any city building other than the police department out of concern for the public safety of our citizens,” Della Volpe wrote in the press release on Aug. 10.
Della Volpe expects the city review to take two to three weeks.
“We’re trying to get this done as expeditiously as possible,” Della Volpe said.
Della Volpe wouldn’t say what Burgess’s explanation to police would mean for his position. Burgess is a volunteer fire chief, but makes a small stipend.
“I can’t answer that. I want to hear what he has to say,” Della Volpe said. “I don’t want to predetermine.”
The police department is still investigating the theft, but doesn’t have any suspects at this time, Hale said.
They are still interviewing people to find out if anyone else knew that the guns were stored at the office.
“The focus is to get the guns back first and foremost,” Hale said.
