Gun security in your car – your responsibilities
As a responsible shooter, you need to do your bit to prevent crime. Which means taking every precaution for gun security in your car. Bill Harriman advises
Do not leave your firearm in plain sight in your car and don't make the boot of your car easily accessible
Diligence not negligence
In an ideal world you would never leave your gun unattended but that is not always practical. You may need to go to the shops on the way home. Most shoots end up in the pub at the end of the day. In this case, ask the landlord if you may bring your gun inside – country pubs will generally not have a problem with that. You could buy a cable and lock or specially designed slip to secure your gun.
Think before you put shooting association window stickers on your car – they could attract the attention of a would-be gun thief.
If you follow this guidance, it would be difficult to mount a prosecution and any revocation would be unjustified. Often the police regard someone who has had a gun stolen from their car as a criminal rather than a victim. By following the guide, you can put Mr Plod on the back foot and give him a hard time for not preventing car crime.
A stolen shotgun is a very serious incident
The police properly view a stolen shotgun as a very serious incident. The prospect of a lethal weapon in the hands of a petty thief is bad enough — the consequences of it ending up in an armed robbery do not bear thinking about. If there has been any negligence or recklessness on your part, your certificate will be revoked and you may be prosecuted as well. The loss of a gun is not just a personal catastrophe, it is also a PR disaster for the sport. It only takes a single theft reported in a local paper to make the public think we are all irresponsible slackers. Don’t let the side down.
