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Gaston Co. Sheriff's department looks for deputy's stolen gear in Lowell

GASTON COUNTY, N.C. — The sheriff's department is working with police in Lowell to find tems missing from a deputy's car and the person or people who stole them.

The chief deputy told Eyewitness News that officer is not in trouble.

He worries that she may have been targeted.

A sheriff's badge, gun, Taser and a uniform are in the wrong hands; that is not a comforting thought for people we talked to today.

"I don't like it. I don't like it one bit," said Ricky Hollifield.

"I hope they find who did it," said Megan Afford.

On Monday night, the officer those items belonged to went to Ultimate Fitness in Lowell,where several local officers work out because the owner gives law enforcement discounts.

She said she locked her personal car, but when she got back inside, discovered someone had stolen several personal items and her police gear.

"Basically everything she had on her was stolen," said Chief Deputy Wade Leaphart.

What worries Leaphart is that her car was the only one in the parking lot missing items.

The officer works in the courthouse and sees a lot of people.

"People who commit crime, they know your face too," said Leaphart.

He worries someone might try to use the uniform to pass as a real law enforcement officer, likely in another county.

Investigators are reviewing the security camera video from the ym.

They want everyone to know that the stolen gun is engraved with the department name and logo.

The chief deputy said the department is now looking into measures to make sure this doesn't happen again.