The Reno Police Department wants gun owners to take their firearms out of their cars.Since 2016, there have been 265 reports of firearms stolen from vehicles in the city of Reno with 10 such cases already in 2018.
Officer Tim Broadway with the Reno Police Department says one of the most recent reported stolen guns traced back to a downtown shooting in mid-January.
“When we did recover that firearm, when we ran the serial number, it was reported just days prior to have been stolen out of a vehicle,” said Broadway.
Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to prevent these types of thefts from happening. Jay Hawkins at the Reno Guns & Range says his company sells several different devices for gun owners to safely secure their guns.
“There are several different lock boxes that are available, some that are larger, some that are smaller,” said Hawkins.
Hawkins says keeping your firearm secure is one of the most important things you can do as a gun owner.
“I understand that people want to have their firearm readily available should they be in their vehicle, but when they leave the vehicle, they should take that with them,” said Hawkins.
Broadway says locking a gun in your glove box or keeping the weapon in a trunk works too, especially when you're entering a building that doesn't allow firearms like a courthouse. Often times a burglar breaking into a car may not even have intentions of taking a gun, until they find it in plain sight.
“They're looking for those electronic devices, cell phones, laptops, Ipads, whatever the case may be and when they find a firearm, those things on the black market go for a lot of money,” said Broadway.
Broadways says if the department never receives a report and a stolen gun shows up at the scene of a crime, the original buyer could potentially suffer consequences.
“The family of a victim that was shot injured or even killed, they could potentially seek legal representation to go after the original owner of the gun who didn't report the gun stolen,” said Broadway.
Reno Police offer these safety tips:
• Document the serial numbers on all your firearms and valuables
• Take your firearms out of your vehicle and keep your doors locked
• Do not leave valuables in plain view in your car
• Park in well-lit, heavily populated areas
• Avoid parking next to occupied vehicles
• Do not leave your garage door opener in your vehicle
• Don’t think your dark tinted windows will hide your valuables. Thieves often use flashlights to see through tint
• Report suspicious activity immediately to law enforcement
