The last time Sara Warren saw her personal handgun was in the ambulance after an accident on March 28. The police have refused to give the firearm back to her.

The Loveland resident was taken to the Poudre Valley Hospital where her personal firearm was turned over to Fort Collins Police Services — where it’s been ever since.

Due to advice from the city attorney’s office based on the Colorado gun transfer laws that went into effect July 1, 2013, the police have been unable to return her property.

“I’m told there are other people in this situation,” Sheriff Justin Smith said. “It’s terrible when a law-abiding citizen gets caught up in something like this and it causes them to lose faith in their government.”

Warren said she used her Ruger compact SR9 handgun as protection during her work as a maid, entering strangers’ homes alone. She has had to turn down work, not willing to risk her safety.

“We had an opinion from our city attorney and district attorney not to return firearms without a (Federal Firearms License) check, and we don’t have an FFL person in our office,” said Fort Collins deputy chief Jim Szakmeister.

Warren said she has been in contact with Fort Collins police and the city attorney’s office since her accident, demanding a way for her property to be returned to her. No options were offered her.

“I’m a lawful citizen. I use my gun legally. I need my gun … this is ridiculous to me,” Warren said. “There are people out there who can’t get their guns back. They haven’t done anything wrong.”

“There are arrangements being made as we speak to have a certain time, on Wednesday, May 21, to meet at Jax,” Szakmeister said. “Police officers will be there and they will be returning their weapons at that time.”

Those who have had their weapons held in the evidence locker will soon be getting a call about the window of time they can get a background check at the Fort Collins Jax location and have their guns returned to them.

Szakmeister was unaware whether gun owners would be responsible for the background check fee or not. He also said there is no plan currently for regular gun returns.

“We’re working on a long-term solution. The greatest solution would be for the legislators to put in a police exemption. Otherwise we’re probably going to have to get an FFL and find someone in the office willing to work in that capacity,” Szakmeister said.

“This is an example of the kind of things we predicted would be a problem. It’s an unfortunate reality,” Smith said, who along with other Colorado sheriffs was vocal in his protest against the wording of the law since its inception.

Loveland Police Capt. Bob Klinger said there haven’t been any instances of this problem in Loveland, but said they would have to comply with the transfer laws. They also do not have an FFL-licensed employee and would have to use a gun shop.

Smith said the law technically states that if a gun is seized by an officer and turned into evidence, an FFL background check would be required on both the officer and the evidence custodian.

“The city attorney is not able to interpret the law and how to carry it out, which I would take as an indication that it was terribly written,” Smith said. “As written, it is simply not workable.”

He said he was advised by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation to use their services and forgo the FFL checks for interdepartmental transfers.

“I’ll risk being in noncompliance with the law before I’m keeping somebody’s property we have no right to keep,” Smith said.

Contact Reporter-Herald Staff Writer James Garcia at 970-635-3630 or garciaj@reporter-herald.com. Follow him at Twitter.com/JamesGarciaRH.