This article is from page 2 of the 2011-11-01 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 2 JPG
GARDAÍ in Clare are warning people who legally own firearms and ammunition to ensure the property is under lock and key – 20 firearms have been stolen in the county in the past four years.
Most of the weapons were stolen during break-ins to homes, with a small number taken from cars.
“In some cases, it was discovered that the firearms were easily accessible and not secured away to prevent their removal. There are considerable obligations on all firearm holders to ensure that their weapons are securely stored away when not in use,” said the crime prevention officer in the Clare Garda Division, Sergeant Joe Downey.
“This applies to both within the home and when travelling to a shoot or a hunt,” he added.
He said that firearm holders run the risk of having their licences revoked if it is discovered that proper security measures were not in place at the time of the theft.
“As the amount of firearms increases in your possession, the place where they are stored should be alarmed. Where you possess six or more firearms, then the alarm must be linked to a central monitoring station and have back-up signalling facilities,” he said.
“During transport, store them out of sight in an area that is not accessible to the driver or any passenger. Never leave them inside the vehicle whether occupied or left unattended,” he added.