The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department is using social media to promote its efforts to get illegal guns off the street.
Capt. Andy Walsh of the Downtown Area Command said the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department noticed other agencies across the country sharing photographs of confiscated weapons on social media using the hashtag #OneLessGun.
“We thought, ‘Well, that’s a great idea to promote all the work that we do in the Downtown Area Command to get illegal guns and firearms from people who should not have those guns off the streets,” Walsh said.
Walsh said in the past year alone, his command has recovered 163 illegally possessed firearms.
Stolen guns is also a big problem for the department because thieves can use those firearms to commit other crimes.
Walsh recommends gun owners invest in a gun safe to decrease the likelihood of theft. He said legal gun owners should also make sure to record the serial number of the gun. In the event of a gun theft, police can use the number to potentially track down the stolen weapon.