Here are ways police and gun safety experts suggest to prevent your weapon from being stolen, and what to do if that happens:
-- Check vehicles before going to bed to make sure they are locked and do not contain guns and other valuables.
-- Do not leave keys in vehicles.
-- Do not leave a firearm in a vehicle unless you must. In that case, leave the weapon in a gun safe or locked box in the trunk or a locked compartment. If possible, park the vehicle in a well-lit area in view of security cameras.
-- Take photos of firearms and record the make, model and serial number. Keep that information in a separate, secure place.
-- To prevent thieves from opening a vehicle with devices that extend or amplify your key fob signal, AAA recommends storing them in a metal box or Faraday pouch.
-- Firearms in the home should be stored unloaded in a gun safe or locked box that thieves can’t easily steal.
-- Report a stolen firearm to police immediately. Check back with police to see if the information on the report is correct and to find out if the weapon has turned up.
-- If you do not have a weapon’s serial number check with the dealer you purchased it from. Dealers are required to keep those records. If the dealer is out of business, request that police contact the National Tracing Center, which is the repository for those records. The tracing center is not allowed to keep those records in an easily searchable format, NBC News reports.
-- Ohio and Florida have searchable databases listing stolen guns by serial number. North Carolina does not have such a database, but you can ask police to check if a gun you plan to purchase was reported stolen.
