Gun theft prompts security warning in Coromandel

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Gun owners are being warned to upgrade from unsecure wooden cabinets following a recent burglary of a Coromandel home in which several firearms were taken.

Waikato police district arms officer Richard Plas said eight firearms were taken during the Opoutere break-in.

"This wasn't a case of the firearms being kept unsecured - they were locked into a wooden gun cabinet which had been approved in 2006.

"However, as time goes by, it has become increasingly obvious to police that wooden gun cabinets are not always that effective in defeating thieves.

"With the price of metal gun safes falling considerably over recent years, police are asking gun owners to consider upgrading their security to steel gun safes bolted in place. It's not just about protecting your investments but also about keeping the community safe."

Gun owners' security preparations should be able to defeat an attack by thieves with common hand-tools such as hammers, screwdrivers or crowbars for a period of up to 10 minutes, Mr Plas said.

"If you own firearms and think that your security might not be strong enough, do something about it, this can include installing extra locks, an alarm system or installing a steel gun-safe."

Firearms taken during the Opoutere break-in included a wooden, cut down sporting stock .303 rifle, a 12 gauge side-by-side Liege shotgun with side-hammers more than 100 years old with a wooden stock and engraving of birds in flight on the sides and a wooden stock 20 gauge single barrel Optima shotgun.

It was also recommended that gun owners record photos and serial numbers of their firearms on property databases such the SNAP website (www.snap.org.nz).

"Last year we highlighted the issue of firearms left unsecured and stolen in rural burglaries under the banner of "Lock em or Lose em" and we would like to reiterate the importance of firearms security," Mr Plas said.

Gun owners were required by law to advise police of any firearm thefts and when they changed their address.

"All too often, guns are stolen from gun-owners who haven't notified a change of address and consequently kept their firearms in sub-standard security.

"With police increasingly finding offenders involved in the illicit drugs trade arming themselves with illegally obtained firearms, owners need to realise establishing origins of recovered weapons becomes a matter of priority for our investigators."