The number of guns reported stolen in Georgia has steadily increased over the past three years, and this year those numbers are on track to be even higher, according to figures from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives office in Atlanta.

The data show 7,718 firearms stolen in Georgia in 2013; 8,712 in 2014; and 11,423 in 2015. Through August of this year, 7,803 firearms have been stolen. If that pace continues, firearms thefts in Georgia for 2016 will be 20 percent higher than last year, according to ATF spokesman Nero Priester.

Gun thefts in Georgia are "definitely trending upward," Priester said.

In an effort to track down illegal gun trafficking and other violations, the ATF recently released a phone app which it hopes will generate new leads and information on who deals in the stolen guns.

The app can be used anonymously to provide the ATF with information, Priester said. It can be downloaded to iOS and Android phones from the Apple App Store or Google Play, and photos can be downloaded to the ATF through the app.

The app is available primarily for information on firearms, but tips on firearms trafficking, drugs, explosives and other criminal activity can also be provided by users, he said. The public can "absolutely" be of help in firearms investigations, according to Priester.

Gun-theft figures used by the ATF come from the National Crime Information Center, which gives the agency access to the data, Priester said.

The data list Texas as the top state for gun thefts, followed by Georgia, Florida, California and North Carolina.

For more information on the app, go online to www.atf.gov/contact/submit-tip.