Regina gun theft of 'great concern' for community safety advocate

The theft of a dozen guns in Reginahas a safety advocate in the cityworried.

Police are investigating a burglary of 12 long guns fromRegina's Pawn King store over the weekend.

• Police 'frustrated' after guns stolen from Regina business

"We already have a lot of gun-related violence occurring within the community. Are we going to start seeing more?" wondered ShawnaOochoo, the co-founder of White Pony Lodge, a group that patrols the city's North Central neighbourhood.

"It's definitely a great concern, not only for myself but also for the community as well."

Gun crime on the rise

In 2016, there was a 94 per cent increase in violent gun offences over the five-year average.

• VIDEO:Regina police chief talks guns, meth and rising crime

"In the past couple months, we've seen more gun-related crimes. We've seen more shootings within the community," Oochoo said.

In response, Regina police ran a gun amnesty earlier this month,taking 157 unwanted guns from owners.

• VIDEO:Regina police criticized for destroying 157 guns

Fifty-five firearms werereported stolen last year:that is 20 more than the previous year. But police say those numbers probably do not tell the whole story because some people may not report a stolen gun.

Plus, Regina police seized 343 guns in 2016, a 30 per cent increase from 2015.