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PORTSMOUTH — Police are calling on state legislators to help them address a yearslong issue by making it a crime for firearms owners to leave their guns in unlocked vehicles.

Included in Portsmouth’s legislative wish list approved last month is a request from local police for state legislators to create a class 2 misdemeanor charge when firearms are left in an unlocked vehicle.

A class 2 misdemeanor charge carries a penalty of up to six months in jail and/or a fine of up to $1,000. Other examples of class 2 misdemeanors in Virginia include aggressive driving or driving without a valid license.

If the proposal is taken up next session and passed, Portsmouth Police Chief Stephen Jenkins said it won’t fully address gun violence concerns, but

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