— A military-style rifle was stolen from a Garner police officer's patrol car this week, police said Thursday.

The patrol car was parked in the driveway of the officer's Johnston County home after the officer got off work Monday, police said. The M16A2 rifle was secured in a locked gun rack in the car, but thieves broke out a window of the car and snatched the rifle either late Monday or early Tuesday, police said.

The Garner Police Department and the Johnston County Sheriff's Office were working together on the investigation.

"We are also looking into how this individual defeated the secure/locked gun rack that the weapon was in. We have taken steps in the meantime to make sure officers' weapons remain secure while officers are off-duty," Garner Police Chief Brandon Zuidema said in a statement.

Anyone with information about the stolen rifle is asked to call the Garner Police Department at 919-772-8810 or the Johnston County Sheriff's Office at 919-989-5010.