HARTSVILLE, SC (WBTW) – The Hartsville area has recently experienced a rash of burglaries, according to the police department, with guns being the most commonly stolen item.
The Hartsville Police Department reports in many cases, the owners have not been able to report the make of the gun, model or serial number to law enforcement. The ATF has provided a simple sheet to help record this information.
Police say the document can be saved in PDF format and either printed out and the paper copy maintained in your records or saved in electronic form. Officers also encourage gun owners to email themselves the information so they always have it available if needed.
Hartsville Police says this is a simple method to help our citizens recover their property. This is the description of this document, provided by the ATF:
“Each year, thousands of firearms are reported lost or stolen. The owners’ ability to adequately identify these firearms is central to law enforcement’s ability to investigate these crimes and losses. Insurance claims and re-acquisition of recovered firearms will also hinge on the ability to correctly identify these firearms.
By completing this record and maintaining it in a safe location, separate from your firearms, you will be not only protecting your own property, you will be taking an important first step in the effort to prevent thefts and to keep firearms out of the hands of criminals.
This is a personal record only. The information will not be collected or maintained by ATF or any other Federal Government agency.”
The Hartsville Police Department highly recommends that each citizen take the time to walk through your house and document the make, model and serial numbers of any items of value. Please do not rely on the owners’ manual as most of them are mass produced and do not include your individual serial number, police say. For further questions or assistance please feel free to contact the Hartsville Police Department at 843-383-3011 or 843-383-3029.
