Stolen guns often used for crimes

Police say stolen firearms are most often the weapons used in criminal activity.

Out of the 400 guns Pulaski County deputies found at Hilltop Motors in Waynesville last week, at least 40 of them are confirmed as stolen.

Upwards of of 250,000 firearms on average are stolen each year in the United States.

Seventy-four percent of those firearms are stolen in home burglaries according to a Justice Department report. In fact, Detective Tom O’Sullivan with the Boone County Sheriff’s Department said guns are one of the top items of choice taken in home burglaries. TVs and other electronics are other sought after things for crooks, but stolen guns are the greatest concern for law enforcement.

Detective Tom O’Sullivan, Boone County Sheriff’s Department: “A lot of the burglaries that we get involve firearms. And it’s probably a small percentage that are ever actually recovered.”

O’Sullivan said if guns are stolen, authorities can get the serial numbers from the owners and put that number into several databases. If the weapon is found, it will show up in the computer system as stolen. But without the serial numbers, it is almost impossible to trace stolen guns.

Convicted felons are banned by law from buying or even possessing firearms. O’Sullivan said since they can’t buy guns legally, stealing them or buying stolen firearms is how they usually get guns.

O’Sullivan: “Part of being a responsible gun owner is to secure your firearms, make it as difficult as possible for a burglar or thief to steal that firearm because chances are if your firearm is stolen it’s going to be used for criminal activity.”

O’Sullivan said gun owners should secure their homes with locks on doors and windows. He also said he strongly encourages gun owners to look into the possibility of getting a safe or a home security system.

Handguns are the most common types of firearms stolen in the U.S. A report shows more than 4,500 firearms were stolen in Missouri in 2012.