Who’s Guarding The Gear? Tank Theft Prompts Review California’s Gov. Pete Wilson Orders ‘Fail-Safe’ System On National Guard Tanks

Gov. Pete Wilson on Friday ordered the National Guard to develop a fail-safe system to assure that no tank ever again will be stolen from an armory and used to endanger innocent lives.

Wilson, acting as commander-in-chief of the National Guard, issued the directive after San Diego Mayor Susan Golding demanded an investigation to find out how a troubled Army veteran on Wednesday evening was able to seize a 53-ton M-60 tank and engage in a rampage of destruction on public roadways.

Shawn Timothy Nelson, 35, a former U.S. Army tank crew member who stole the machine, was shot and killed in the tank by San Diego police after he refused an order to surrender.

In an angry letter to Wilson, Golding had deplored security at the San Diego armory as “clearly unacceptable.” She expressed worry about the safety of citizens if other military equipment also fell into the wrong hands.

Amazingly, no bystanders were killed or seriously injured during the wild 22-minute ride along a six-mile course of San Diego streets and highways, but at least 40 vehicles were flattened or damaged along with bridges, fire hydrants and traffic lights.

“This unconscionable act should never have occurred. We will take immediate action to ensure that an incident of this nature can never again endanger the lives of innocent civilians,” Wilson said in a statement.

He ordered Maj. Gen. Tandy K. Bozeman, adjutant general of the California National Guard, to determine how the theft happened and “take immediate action” to guarantee that it never will be repeated.

The governor, a former San Diego mayor, promised that Bozeman would keep Golding updated on the progress of the investigation at the armory, which is home to 28 tanks regularly used for training.

Piecing evidence together, authorities said Nelson, bare-chested and wearing jeans, drove his private van to the armory, where he was apparently unchallenged. He broke into three locked tanks, finally getting the third started. He then set off on the wild ride.

Bozeman told the Los Angeles Times on Friday that steps already had been taken to disable the guard’s entire inventory of track vehicles throughout California, including armored personnel carriers, certain artillery pieces and humvees.

Bozeman also said research is underway that will make tanks and other vehicles so secure against theft that even “if you are an experienced and trained crewman, you cannot crank up and move one of our vehicles.” He refused to discuss the new security system but said it will be in place soon.