Cochrane RCMP have charged a 53 year old man with unsafe storage of a firearm after his .357 revolver handgun was stolen.

On Sunday, Aug. 14 the man informed RCMP his handgun was stolen from his vehicle which was parked at his residence on Bow Ridge Road.

The vehicle is believed to have been left unlocked, it contained the firearm as well as 25 rounds of ammunition in the centre console.

Constable Jennifer Brewer, Cochrane RCMP, says this was grounds to charge the man.

"Under the Criminal Code it specifies ways in which firearms are supposed to be stored," she explains. "Leaving them in a vehicle, not in a case, in the centre console, with ammunition right there is not proper storage. It wasn't stored properly that's what lead to it being stolen, and that's why the male was charged under the unsafe storage of firearms."

The handgun is still missing, which is a concern for police.

"It definitely is a public and police officer safety risk, because we aren't able to locate this gun now, we don't know if and when it will ever resurface. It definitely leads to a concern on our part because we don't know what's going to happen with this gun, if it's going to be used, or stay missing."

The investigation is still ongoing.

If you have any information about this or any other incident, please call the Cochrane RCMP at 403-851-8000 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.