Mat-Su burglars target guns

Most Alaskans aren't locking up their guns. The hunting rifle is generally under the bed or in the closet, right where a thief expects to find it. And it takes mere minutes for experienced burglars to get into a house, go to the predictable spots and take the gun, law enforcement officers say.

New national and local procedures for tracking stolen guns could offer greater protection for owners in the future, but in the meantime, gun owners are being asked to record all serial numbers and lock their guns up. The Valley experienced more than 130 gun thefts throughout the winter, according to a tally of police activity logs and press releases. Lately, though, the number is not inordinate, said Alaska State Trooper Randy McPherron. Two were reported missing in May, and two were also recovered as stolen property.

McPherron said professional criminals like to deal in stolen guns because they can't be traced back to them. This has created a ready market for pilfered guns and the incentive to steal them. Drugs and other factors also tend to be involved, he said.

"It's easier to buy a gun this way than by waiting three days and providing identification. And obviously, they can't get a gun legally if they are felons," McPherron said.

Guns that are reported as stolen can be found relatively faster if a serial number is given to officers as quickly as possible, said Wasilla Police Chief Don Savage. It is then entered into the state's data base, Alaska Public Safety Information Network (ASPIN), and the serial number will turn up as stolen property if the gun is located.

"People are recording their [gun] serial numbers often enough that it makes a difference," Savage said, speaking of local recoveries. Serial numbers can be traced out through purchase receipts, but that takes time and often delays officers' ability to trace a stolen gun, he said.

Last session, the state Legislature considered discussion regarding electronic or non-electronic reporting of stolen property. Currently, pawn shops must log all transactions which officers check against stolen items, but House Bill 472 proposed to change the format of the reporting process. Paper reports aren't very efficient, Savage said.

The bill passed the Senate and stalled in the House, but the topic is likely to surface again next session, said an aide to Rep. Joe Green, R-Anchorage, the bill's sponsor. "There was a great deal of interest in this on the part of officers throughout the state," Laura Achee said. "It stalled because not all pawn shops are able to go online and do an electronic report."

The National Law Enforcement Technology Center is currently looking at a system that would network Alaska law enforcement agencies with those Outside, Savage said. Among other features, this electronic reporting system also would cross reference items reported as stolen in-state with items accepted at pawn shops.

"We hope this system would automate that reporting process so that it can cross-reference on its own. It would flag an item so that even the pawn shop owner would know it is stolen ahead of time and then they wouldn't have to worry about losing the value of their property," Savage said.

Pawn shop owners have agreed to the concept. "Pawn shops and second-hand stores are legitimate business people and they have the same interest in protecting their property," Savage said.

John Minnick, owner of A-1 Pawn Shop, says he completely supports new ideas for automating the check of guns.

His inventory has been computerized since the early 1990s, and officers regularly come to his pawn shop and download his information.

"People have to show me their identification to sell me a gun. I write it all down and it goes into a computer so that we have their ages, names, addresses," Minnick said.

Steve Stewart, owner of Alaska Best Pawn, said guns pose a difficulty because they are "untitled property, like boats, snow machines, canoes and arm chairs."

Only real estate and vehicles are sold with a title that proves ownership, so buying guns is tricky. But Stewart said he seldom receives stolen property because logging transactions holds the sellers accountable for what they pawn. And if he accidentally makes a deal on a stolen gun, he isn't likely to ever be reimbursed, Stewart said.

"Also, criminals wouldn't likely deal with a store or a pawn shop because they would have to go by the same rules here as they would in purchasing guns at Wal-Mart or any other gun store," Stewart said. "They would have to wait three days and provide identification."

McPherron said residents need to go the extra measure to secure their weapons from thieves.

"They can make it a lot harder for him [a burglar]. Keep the gun locked up in a safe or a storage locker. Hiding it under the bed or pillow doesn't work," McPherron said. "The longer it takes them to get at the gun, the greater the chances they will get caught."

The vast majority of gun owners are responsible, yet they need to keep them secure to keep weapons out of the hands of criminals, McPherron said.

It is not unusual for stolen guns to be used in local crimes, he added.

Trooper Capt. Dennis Casanovas said people who have had their guns stolen can best check on whether they have been recovered by coming into the station that investigated the theft.

The serial number can be referenced on ASPIN, to see if the gun remains listed as stolen.

Law enforcement agencies usually do not like to give information over the phone, though that varies from place to place, Casanovas said.

People who have had their guns stolen also need to let officers know if their address or phone number changes so that they can be reached, he said.