Comment from local law enforcement re: thieves, cars, and guns

Status
Not open for further replies.
I've always been apprehensive to leave any firearms in my car. I live in a relatively nice area and over the years there has been several rashes of car break-ins. It seems when these criminals roll through they can be satisfied if enough cars are unlocked through out the neighborhood for them to pilfer but if not, they'll resort to breaking windows. I've never heard of any arrests because it seems they only come around sporadically 2 or 3 times a year. I wouldn't be surprised if it's on a larger area rotation as these cowards just rove from area to area.
 
That sucks! The passing years we've found that there have become more incidents of petty crime occurring in the neighborhood. Some years back some "opportunists" tried to get into our commuter car parked on the driveway. I'd locked it and set the alarm. We're settling into bed about 1'ish when the horn begins honking away. They managed to open the door partway which set the alarm off but no signs of forced entry. Over the months my neighbors relayed that they had small items missing from inside their car or that were left outside their property. The homes with video cameras were not able to get any ID of the scum that was going through the neighborhood.

One fortunate aspect is that this street has a high number of retirees so they putter in their garage most days.
 
I have two safes in the vehicle. One built in the center console and one under the seat cabled to the frame. I store my gun in the console one if we eat at a bar/restaurant type establishment where guns could be disallowed based on percentage of alcohol sales. If I have more than one gun when traveling they are stored in that safe for the duration. The one under the seat is for over flow.

I do the same when going to bars or restaurants.

I also make deliveries to bars, restaurants, and other prohibited locations that require the gun stays in the car.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
How do you mean exactly? Like never carrying a gun in a vehicle or never having a gun in a vehicle? Or do you mean having a gun in the vehicle that is not your EDC?

Just clarifying because it seems your implying one should not be allowed to have a gun in their car.
No, I'm saying that one needs to evaluate having a gun in his vehicle on a case-by-case basis. That is, not carrying a gun in a vehicle routinely. I think that a cost-benefit comparison needs to be done before every trip, weighing the chance of theft versus the chance of having to use the gun (for self defense or otherwise). But this is up to each individual; it has nothing to do with government "permission." I have to say that stolen, and subsequently misused, guns provide plenty of ammunition to the antigunners. We have to police ourselves better on this. Make it damn hard for someone to steal your guns.
Exactly what our resident 'sheep in wolves' clothing' means.
No, and the implications of that statement are simply wrong.
 
No, I'm saying that one needs to evaluate having a gun in his vehicle on a case-by-case basis. That is, not carrying a gun in a vehicle routinely. I think that a cost-benefit comparison needs to be done before every trip, weighing the chance of theft versus the chance of having to use the gun (for self defense or otherwise). But this is up to each individual; it has nothing to do with government "permission." I have to say that stolen, and subsequently misused, guns provide plenty of ammunition to the antigunners. We have to police ourselves better on this. Make it damn hard for someone to steal your guns.

No, and the implications of that statement are simply wrong.

How exactly is this done? I can understand the theft part of the equation....but, the self-defense part of the equation eludes me. The whole concept for carrying (for me anyway) is to have a firearm nearby to defend myself or a family member should that need ever arise. What is the cost-benefit of not having it on my person at that time because I was afraid of offending the anti-gun group?
 
No, and the implications of that statement are simply wrong.
But you come across that way a lot in your posts, and again, your post about your less likely to need it than it is to get stolen and you should consider leaving it home is just one more of them as it sounds like what an antis would tell us.

Have any stats for that? No?

Anyway, when you sound like an anti you're going to get remarks. You say you are not, fine, but you keep barking like one.


Leaving guns in cars is a big decision. Where is the car? Is it under surveillance? Is it in a guarded place unlikely to be broken into? In your driveway?

I routinely take a gun with me in the car, but I never leave it over night in the driveway, as that is useless to me there and carries a risk of being stolen, do it long enough and it is likely to be stolen.

At work where one is not allowed to bring it in? Again, the individual has to make a decision, leave it at home, take it with them and violate policy y bringing it in, or taking a calculated risk by leaving it in the car. Some places cars are parked are very low risk, some are risky. Lock it up in the car in a secured lock box in a low crime area that has security? Yes, I do that.

Leaving it in your car overnight in the driveway is a bad risk and could be even be considered negligent.

The last set of thieves that came through our neighborhood went through a bunch of unlocked vehicles (My wife's) but did not break into any locked ones (Mine). They stole an old GPS from my wifes car, the most interesting thing that was in mine was a set of binoculars.
 
Yeah, that's a really common pattern overall. Law abiding citizen leaves gun in car (intentionally or unintentionally), car is broken into, gun is taken and turned into cash by thief, gun is bought by other criminals who would have a hard time passing the ole' 4473 check.

For all the gun-control-proponent's mouth-foaming over "gun show loopholes" and other nonsense, this is one of the big ways in which criminals get guns that they are not legally allowed to possess. And since both sides of the transaction are committed criminals (car thieves and drug dealers/felon-in-possession types), the notion that "mandatory" background checks would stop even one of these transactions is a joke.
Of course, some of the more aggressive gun control activists recognize this, and that's why they want to criminalize being victimized by a gun thief. :fire:

In any event, it's probably best not to store guns in cars (locked or not), particularly overnight. Sometimes there's no avoiding it, but having a "truck gun" or "car gun" that just lives in the truck or car is perhaps not a great idea.


Its not ideal to leave a gun in a locked vehicle, but if your vehicle is in an enclosed garage at night, that's about the same as it being in your house.

Another factor is in the location you live. I assume you live in Atlanta, which is a high crime area. Not everyone does.
 
Both of my vehicles have lockboxes in them and they are made of fairly thick steel. One even has the drawer recessed deep enough that you can't use a screwdriver to try to pry it open. These are strictly for locking up a pistol if I have to be out someplace like a doctor's appointment. Both are under seat installations and that makes them difficult to get to with anything except a key. Yes, I know a determined thief could open either of if given enough time but it's much better than a console or glove compartment and I don't advertise that I'm a gun owner. I live in the country but I never leave a gun in the car. The only time a gun will be in it is when I'm using the vehicle.

I never lock or unlock my vehicle with the key fob. I can just push a button on the door as long as I have the fob in my pocket and lock or unlock the door. The other vehicle is a Jeep wrangler and a cheep jeep at that. You use the key to lock, unlock, and start and stop it. You also have to use your arm to crank the windows up and down. I just turn on the AC if I need air. It's cheap but not that cheap. :thumbup: I don't have to worry about someone stealing my codes either.
 
hat is, not carrying a gun in a vehicle routinely. I think that a cost-benefit comparison needs to be done before every trip, weighing the chance of theft versus the chance of having to use the gun (for self defense or otherwise).
This statement makes no sense to me whatsoever. A "cost-benefit" comparison? You mean cost benefit analysis? In any rate, this is a process organizations use to analyze decisions, summing up the benefit of an action, then subtracting the known costs associated with taking that action, not the possible cost (i.e., having a firearm stolen).

I think you're talking about a risk management assessment.

At any rate, you either carry a firearm all the time, or you don't. Bad things happen to good guys in nice places. If you have to decide whether you should be packing before every trip, best not bother taking the gun or taking the trip at all.
 
I only own Jeep with soft top so I never lock them, don’t keep anything in there either.

Friend made a terrible mistake, forgot his BHP in the car overnight and it got stolen.
 
Its not ideal to leave a gun in a locked vehicle, but if your vehicle is in an enclosed garage at night, that's about the same as it being in your house.

Another factor is in the location you live. I assume you live in Atlanta, which is a high crime area. Not everyone does.

Agreed re closed garages. My neighborhood is not historically “high crime,” but every once in a while some miscreants discover it.
 
How exactly is this done? I can understand the theft part of the equation....but, the self-defense part of the equation eludes me. The whole concept for carrying (for me anyway) is to have a firearm nearby to defend myself or a family member should that need ever arise. What is the cost-benefit of not having it on my person at that time because I was afraid of offending the anti-gun group?
This has nothing to do with offending antigunners. I can understand carrying a gun (or having it in your car) if you were planning to travel to a tough part of town, planning to interact with some sketchy characters, carrying large amounts of money or valuables, or -- heaven forbid -- having an actual concrete threat against you. If it's just an inchoate fear, then the chance of theft would outweigh it. (As you can tell, I'm against routine carrying on the person -- but even more so against carrying in a vehicle that is not under your immediate control.)

If you are carrying all the time, it means that you are living fearfully. I for one don't want to live in a perpetual state of fear. That doesn't mean that I'm a Pollyanna, but I also want to have a normal fear-free psyche. The presence of the gun does not replace the fear -- it just accentuates it.

I guess its a matter of lifestyle. I'm too old to live dangerously. I live in a relatively well-off suburb with an extremely low crime rate and its own well-trained, dedicated police force. I make a point of traveling only to familiar places that I know are safe. Under these circumstances, it's just inconvenient for me to be carrying a gun around. If I need one, I have plenty to choose from.
 
This has nothing to do with offending antigunners. I can understand carrying a gun (or having it in your car) if you were planning to travel to a tough part of town, planning to interact with some sketchy characters, carrying large amounts of money or valuables, or -- heaven forbid -- having an actual concrete threat against you. If it's just an inchoate fear, then the chance of theft would outweigh it. (As you can tell, I'm against routine carrying on the person -- but even more so against carrying in a vehicle that is not under your immediate control.)

If you are carrying all the time, it means that you are living fearfully. I for one don't want to live in a perpetual state of fear. That doesn't mean that I'm a Pollyanna, but I also want to have a normal fear-free psyche. The presence of the gun does not replace the fear -- it just accentuates it.

I guess its a matter of lifestyle. I'm too old to live dangerously. I live in a relatively well-off suburb with an extremely low crime rate and its own well-trained, dedicated police force. I make a point of traveling only to familiar places that I know are safe. Under these circumstances, it's just inconvenient for me to be carrying a gun around. If I need one, I have plenty to choose from.

I carry a gun daily, and not because I am living my life in fear, I am doing so because I’m not afraid. I don’t live my life in a false sense of security and believe that if something bad did happen, someone else will be there to protect me.
But you have gone off topic. This topic was not about carrying a gun around in a vehicle. It’s about leaving one in your vehicle.
I’m pretty sure the OP’s vehicle was in his driveway when the event took place.
Most vehicle burglaries take place at night in the homeowner’s driveway. It is best not to leave any valuables in your vehicle over nigh.
 
As you can tell, I'm against routine carrying on the person...

Interesting attitude , coming from a person who chooses to participate in a gun forum.

If you are carrying all the time, it means that you are living fearfully.

Thanks for the free analysis - but it is dead wrong. Mighty darned presumptuous of you , and I don't mind saying so.
 
If you are carrying all the time, it means that you are living fearfully.

Au contraire. It is my belief that a person who carries should do so all the time and is much more familiar with safely carrying a firearm. Doing so is not living fearful, IMHE.

The issue is really whether a gun should be routinely carried in a vehicle at all.
Carrying full time, one is forced to leave his/her firearm in the vehicle from time to time. When I must leave a firearm in a vehicle it is secured in a strong box, hidden under seat or in trunk and fastened securely to the vehicle. A detective friend of mine uses a bicycle cable and substantial padlock (not the smaller child lock cables furnished with some guns) to secure his pistol to the driver's seat frame. I will not leave a firearm in a vehicle parked outside overnight.

I guess its a matter of lifestyle. I'm too old to live dangerously. I live in a relatively well-off suburb with an extremely low crime rate and its own well-trained, dedicated police force. I make a point of traveling only to familiar places that I know are safe.

Carrying a firearm is not for everyone and if doing so makes one uncomfortable, they certainly should not do so. Good luck with that, I hope it works well for you.

I, too, @ 82 years of age, am too old to live dangerously. However, living dangerously is defined differently by different folks under different conditions.

For example, living within a mile of our southern border where average apprehension of undocumented aliens is currently 3000/month and once "apprehended" they are given a court date and released with their promise to return for their hearing, I find comfort in having a firearm. Most are simply looking for a better life, but MS13 and other various cartel members are known to infiltrate the masses.
ETA: Latest stats just reported for our USBP sector (320 miles river front); apprehensions up to 4200/mo.:what:

Thankfully, our crime rate is also within reason for our location, thanks to a "well regulated" police force but one cannot expect the police to be everywhere, all the time. While very good, 10 to 15 minute response time would be an excellent response time IMO, and that just might not be quick enough.

Regards, and be safe.
hps
 
Last edited:
This has nothing to do with offending antigunners. I can understand carrying a gun (or having it in your car) if you were planning to travel to a tough part of town, planning to interact with some sketchy characters, carrying large amounts of money or valuables, or -- heaven forbid -- having an actual concrete threat against you. If it's just an inchoate fear, then the chance of theft would outweigh it. (As you can tell, I'm against routine carrying on the person -- but even more so against carrying in a vehicle that is not under your immediate control.)

If you are carrying all the time, it means that you are living fearfully. I for one don't want to live in a perpetual state of fear. That doesn't mean that I'm a Pollyanna, but I also want to have a normal fear-free psyche. The presence of the gun does not replace the fear -- it just accentuates it.

I guess its a matter of lifestyle. I'm too old to live dangerously. I live in a relatively well-off suburb with an extremely low crime rate and its own well-trained, dedicated police force. I make a point of traveling only to familiar places that I know are safe. Under these circumstances, it's just inconvenient for me to be carrying a gun around. If I need one, I have plenty to choose from.
Sometimes a person lives in a neighborhood that deteriorates and it takes awhile before the person is able to move away. That was me in Cali and I didn't even have the choice to carry legally. It's very stressful to live in such an environment, I was even stressed out all the time in my house, where I was always armed. Outside the house it would have been a lot less stressful had I been able to carry. I got a lot of flak from people who were just carrying regardless, but it's not my nature to ignore the law. Where I thankfully live now in a peaceful town in AZ I don't really feel a need to carry in my everyday life but it occurs to me that I probably should anyway, better to be armed and not need to be, than need to be and not be.
 
I don't understand why anyone would routinely leave their vehicle or home unlocked. Or why they would store a weapon un-secured in the interior of the car under any circumstances, locked or not. All a thief would have to do is take out a window to gain entry to your vehicle, and your weapon is gone.

Guns carried for self-defense should be carried on your person. I do realize that needing to conduct business in a place where weapons are prohibited like the post office or the courthouse creates a damn problem.

One night last August the village I work for got hit by three young males who were going through unlocked cars in the middle of the night. All they were looking for was cash left in the vehicles, and they ignored a laptop computer and an M1891 Mosin-Nagant rifle. There were 27 or 28 vehicles hit in total. We only caught them because a citizen couldn't sleep and happened to be up at 0400 and noticed them when his motion sensitive light by the garage turned on. He got on the phone and directed us to where they were hiding.
 
AlexanderA writes:

If you are carrying all the time, it means that you are living fearfully. I for one don't want to live in a perpetual state of fear. That doesn't mean that I'm a Pollyanna, but I also want to have a normal fear-free psyche.

This is for a different thread topic ("carrying at all times"), and several threads on it have been run. Not all remained civil.
 
I'm 71, only time I have left a gun in a vehicle was when I was actively changing the tire on that vehicle, and basically I have carried my entire life. Otherwise, it is always on my person. And I carry everyday; more out of habit vs. out of need.
 
About a week ago, someone broke a window on my car in an effort to break in (the tinting film held the window together and the criminal gave up). The same night, the same person or persons got into my wife's vehicle that she had left unlocked. They rummaged through the junk in her car and tossed the contents of the glove box, but nothing was taken.
That's a pain and I'm sorry to hear that. BTDT, though. When my kid was about 7, we drove home one beautiful night and she left her window down when we went into our apartment. I lost ~800 rounds of ammo that night, mostly .22, which was almost impossible to replace at the time. Fortunately, I hadn't left any guns in the car.
. . . .[T]he cop . . . .recently took a report from a victim whose car was broken into that contained both a new-in-box television and a not-new gun in the glovebox. The gun was taken, the TV was not.
Obviously, I can't be sure with the information given here, but I'd be willing to bet that the gun was both easier to carry and worth more than the TV, at least on the black market.
I would say that the odds of having a gun stolen from a vehicle are much greater than the odds of having to use that gun for self defense. There's no question that a gun should not be left in a vehicle unattended. The issue is really whether a gun should be routinely carried in a vehicle at all.
I don't carry because of the odds. I carry because of the stakes.
. . . .I routinely take a gun with me in the car, but I never leave it over night in the driveway, as that is useless to me there and carries a risk of being stolen, do it long enough and it is likely to be stolen.

At work where one is not allowed to bring it in? Again, the individual has to make a decision, leave it at home, take it with them and violate policy y bringing it in, or taking a calculated risk by leaving it in the car. Some places cars are parked are very low risk, some are risky. Lock it up in the car in a secured lock box in a low crime area that has security? Yes, I do that. . . . .
I agree with this, and wholeheartedly. I never leave a gun in the car overnight.

As for work, by office policy, I may not carry at work. Not in courthouses and not in the office. Fortunately, my current parking space is in the police parking lot, which has signs all over about how it's monitored by video. So that's relatively safe. Nonetheless, my pistol still goes in a hidden safe attached by cable to the car. No system is impenetrable, but this would (hopefully) make stealing my gun more time-consuming than it is worth.
. . . .(As you can tell, I'm against routine carrying on the person -- but even more so against carrying in a vehicle that is not under your immediate control.)

If you are carrying all the time, it means that you are living fearfully. . . .
I have to disagree. It's not about living fearfully, any more than carrying jumper cables means that one is "fearful" of the car not starting. It's merely a recognition of the possibility and taking measures against it. The reality is that bad things happen to good people in this world.
 
For practical reasons they can't keep gun thieaves locked up very long. That is why in this case cooperation from car owners is needed.
I agree that this is the current practical real-world situation but it's backwards. We law-abiding citizens should be demanding the government's cooperation to make our world a safer place. As a society we've grown tolerant of a certain amount of crime, and that's a shame.
 
The living fearfully and you are more likely to get it stolen than use it are both anti arguments, but maybe AA isn't anti, maybe he just doesn't believe in self defense. Some gun owners are that way, the guns are merely toys to be enjoyed at the range, or maybe hunt with, but never to shoot someone, even in defense of life.

Some gun owners are careless with guns (And everything else), not just in cars, but around the home etc. We have to be careful with things that can cause loss of life if misused. So many things can result in accidents that cause injury or loss of life, and actually, guns are way down that list.

Sometimes leaving the gun in the car for a bit is a calculated risk, sometimes it is carelessness, and only you can decide which is which and how much risk of it being stolen there is and you are willing to take.
 
I had a pistol stolen out of my truck several years back. Since then I always bring it in when I go in the house, no exceptions.

If I have to go in the occasional place that doesn’t allow CHL’s I have the vehicle safe.

I still have a ‘truck gun’, I just bring it in at night/in the morning (I actually get off work at 7am).
 
I never leave guns or any other valuables in my personal vehicle, and leave the doors unlocked.
I have written more reports on vehicle burglary's that took place in the victims driveway. Most often the cost of the damage to the vehicle was more then what was stolen from the vehicle.
When I was working in the Bronx, many times car windows were broken, to the tune of hundreds of dollars of damage, to steal less than a dollar of visible change. Everything is valuable to a thief, and why would they care about the damage?

While there I personally had prescription sunglasses, change, a radio, and turn signal housings stolen from my car, all on different occasions.

Leave a gun or anything else valuable in a car? Never. Anywhere. If I had a gun stolen from a car it would have been minimum two weeks loss of pay and possible dismissal. Don't feed the anti gun people by adding another stolen gun statistic.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top