<body><div>Lax security at gun stores around the country is leading to the diversion of firearms to the criminal marketplace, often with devastating and violent consequences, according to a new report by Everytown for Gun Safety, a gun violence prevention organization. The report found that the vast majority of states do not impose security requirements on gun dealers, so they can store their handguns in easily broken glass cabinets and rifles on readily accessible wall displays. Similarly, federal law does not require that gun stores undertake any measures to secure their inventories from theft.Criminals are taking advantage, the report found. Gun stores report five theft or loss incidents of firearms every day. “The gun industry says we need guns to protect ourselves from dangerous criminals, yet its greed and indifference to preventing theft is arming criminals an average of five times a day,” said Nick Suplina, Senior Vice President for Law and Policy at Everytown for Gun Safety, in a press release. “This troubling trend is preventable: Lawmakers must enact legislation to curb thefts from gun stores, gun makers should stop distributing to lax dealers, and the stores themselves should secure their firearms.”In 2022, over 17,000 firearms were reported lost or stolen by federally licensed gun dealers (FFLs), which amounts to over 45 guns per day moving to illegal markets where they can be trafficked and used in crimes. And just ten 10 federally licensed dealers (out of the nearly 78,000 nationwide that sell guns) with the most firearms reported lost or stolen were associated with 4,099 missing firearms — over 20 percent of the total. In some cases, burglars were able to steal hundreds of guns in a single break-in.The report highlights several gun store burglaries in states without any security requirements in place. Stores left guns unsecured after business hours, with no locks or cables. Instead, they are often left on racks or in glass display cases.While the vast majority of states have not yet codified security requirements, nine states and Washington, D.C., have enacted legislation imposing a variety of security measures. California requires that, when closed for business, dealers must either store their firearms in a secure part of their premises, with a rod or cable through the trigger, or in a locked fireproof safe. Connecticut requires a burglar alarm connected to the local police department or monitored by a central station. Illinois requires video surveillance and alarm systems as well as the submission of a safe storage plan to the state police.The report recommends that all states legislation requiring that gun dealers obtain a state license conditioned on physical security inspections by local or state law enforcement and the submission of a safe storage plan to the licensing authority; maintain robust security measures, including: ensure records are available for inspection by local or state authorities; report all firearm thefts and losses to local and state authorities; and train employees on security policies and best practices.</div></body>

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Report: Lax Security At Gun Stores Fuels Illegal Firearms Market

Lax security at gun stores around the country is leading to the diversion of firearms to the criminal marketplace, often with devastating and violent consequences, according to a new report by Everytown for Gun Safety, a gun violence prevention organization. The report found that the vast majority of states do...