The police chief’s problem is not unique in Ohio. How big is the stolen gun issue?

The Dayton Police said this week that the service weapon of Chief Richard Biehl had been stolen and the department is looking for it.

The theft of Biehl’s service weapon occurred in the 2700 block of Wayne Avenue during the period of July 27 and 28, according to an incident report that includes no narrative, no supplemental information, no name of victim or circumstances of the theft.

» LEARN MORE: Dayton Police Chief Biehl's service weapon stolen, DPD officials say

How often do those kinds of thefts happen?

Recently, the Center For American Progress, a progressive policy research and advocacy organization, published a report regarding the frequency and cost of stolen guns ins America.  The data they acquired is from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Explosives and the Federal Bureau of Investigations.

» RELATED: 5 things to know about Ohio's CCW law

The chart below shows the number of firearms that were reported as stolen from licensed gun dealers between the years 2012 and 2016, in Ohio and surrounding states.

Total firearms stolen from licensed gun dealer, 2012 through 2016
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Total
Ohio 282 158 198 308 325 1,271
Indiana 148 165 213 251 217 994
Pennsylvania 191 183 129 241 193 937
Michigan 295 141 86 120 199 841
Kentucky 48 83 193 62 242 628
West Virginia 77 59 31 56 81 304

In Ohio, the estimated number of firearms stolen from individuals between 2012 and 2015 was 37,271. The amount of guns that were stolen from licensed gun dealers between 2012 and 2016 was 1,271.

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The Center for American Progress used the average cost of a firearm, $450, to obtain an estimate the value of guns stolen from individuals between 2012 and 2015.

Estimated value and number of firearms stolen from individual
gun owners, 2012 through 2015
Adjusted value of firearms stolen, in dollars
Total Value Estimated number of firearms stolen
Ohio $16,771,876 37,271
Pennsylvania $12,899,301 28,665
Kentucky $12,326,361 27,196
Michigan $10,252,474 22,783
Indiana $9,367,924 20,818
West Virginia $5,156,623 11,459

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