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Responsible gun ownership shouldn’t have to be legislated.

Yet, city code still permits guns to be left unattended in vehicles for 24 hours. Not surprisingly, nearly one in six firearms reported stolen to the Lincoln Police Department in 2018 were taken from cars.

To that end, City Councilman Roy Christensen’s proposal – which will have its public hearing at Monday’s meeting – represents a major improvement to that ordinance. Requiring guns left in vehicles to be locked and secured to the car is common sense.

After all, it’s more easily enforced than the current 24-hour rule. Police wouldn’t need to look too hard to determine if a firearm was secured in a hard-sided storage container attached to the vehicle, as the mere presence of such a case speaks volumes.

But gun owners shouldn’t need legislative prodding on this front.

When a gun isn’t being used, it must be stored securely. Full stop.