Chief Urges Residents’ Guns be Secured

By Sue Ellen Woodcock

Police Chief Terence Delehanty has mailed out a letter to all legal Winthrop gun owners reminding them to make sure their guns are secured.

Delehanty said he attended a November summit meeting in Boston with Mayor Marty Walsh where this was discussed.

“Thirty-five percent of shootings in Boston come from stolen or mislaid firearms,” Delehanty said. “This is our effort to reduce and prevent illegal gun crimes.”

The letter to gun owners reminds them to make sure their guns have locks on them. Delehanty said the police department has some right now and another 500 have been ordered.

Important changes were made to the gun laws last year. One addresses the selling or transferring of a gun. In order to do this you must access the Massachusetts Gun Transaction Portal at mass.gov.eopss/firearms-reg-and-laws/frb – this will identify both the seller and the buyer and ensure that the sale or transfer complies with the law. In addition, all lost or stolen guns must be reported through the portal and a report must be filed with the Winthrop Police Department. If a gun needs to be disposed of it can be done safely and confidentially through the Winthrop Police Department.