Las Vegas police report uptick in gun thefts

The Las Vegas Valley has seen an uptick in gun thefts this year, many of which could have been prevented by proper storage, police said Wednesday.

"This conversation is not about whether to own a gun or not," Metro Capt. Richard Fletcher said during a press conference. The conversation, he said, is about how to store a firearm in your house if you decide to own one.

Between Jan. 1 and Sept. 5, Metro received reports of 1,694 stolen firearms valley-wide, Fletcher said. Las Vegas is on pace to surpass last year's total of 2,200 firearms that were stolen from homeowners.

"I don't know where these guns are going, but we do know that some of these guns are used in crimes, and that's a problem," Fletcher said.

Forty-nine guns were reported stolen across the valley in the past week. Fifteen of those were stolen in a single home burglary, he said.

Most stolen firearms are taken from the master bedroom, Fletcher said.

Police also discussed the importance of keeping the weapons away from children.

"A 2-year-old has the strength to pull the trigger on a firearm," Fletcher said. "If that doesn't make you pause as a gun owner and think, 'I better start securing my weapons,' then maybe you should sell those guns legally to somebody."

Larger safes can be anchored to the floors and foundations of homes, while smaller pistol boxes can be anchored to wall studs and heavy furniture.

A spokesman for Nevada Safes said gun safes range in price from $300 to about $2,000. The more expensive safes are larger, more secure and have better fire protection, he said. If you can't afford a gun safe, Metro recommends purchasing a gun lock.

Contact Kimber Laux at klaux@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Find her on Twitter: @lauxkimber