Posted November 07, 2018 12:00:56 If a gun was found in a vehicle, or a car in the garage, and you know the owner, then you can call law enforcement.
If the owner is not known, the safest thing to do is call the local police department, said Kevin Miller, director of the Colorado State Patrol.
“There are always good ways to make sure you have a gun in a car or a truck, even if you don’t know the individual.”
If you are unsure, contact your local sheriff’s office or police department.
Miller said you can also call a gun shop or gun dealer.
“If you find a gun at a pawn shop or at a flea market, or if you find an antique gun, that is a good way to find out if it’s yours or not,” Miller said.
Miller added that if you think someone else may have the gun, you should take it to a police department and ask for a report from them.
“You don’t want to be the one who ends up getting sued,” Miller added.
“It’s not worth it to me.”
If the gun is not yours, but someone else did, Miller said it’s up to the owner to report the gun to police.
“A lot of times, if you can’t identify the person who found it, it’s probably going to be stolen,” Miller noted.
Miller also said it may be a good idea to get the gun traced to where it was found.
“I would think it would be a really good idea for them to tell their police department,” Miller advised.
“But it’s not a bad idea to call law enforcers to say, ‘I need help finding my gun, I need it back.'”
If you suspect you might have a stolen gun, Miller advised checking the serial number of the gun.
If you have lost a gun, or it was taken away, Miller also suggested contacting a law enforcement agency or a firearms shop to find the owner.
Miller told the Associated Press he has seen some gun owners report a lost or stolen gun after they found out the owner was deceased.
Miller noted that police departments will sometimes report a gun to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, but it’s unclear if that information is shared with the FBI.
If someone loses their gun, they should contact the National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund.
“This is an important memorial fund for law enforcement and families,” Miller told AP.
“When a loved one dies, that person’s family members will not know they have a weapon.”