Alarming Trend, High Percentage of Guns Stolen Are From Vehicles

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Speedo66

Speedo66

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Read an article recently that said that among cities that report stolen guns to the FBI, a large percentage were taken from vehicles.

Columbia’s SC reported that 73% of their stolen guns were from vehicles, 68% of them were unlocked.

The largest group of stolen guns were taken from vehicles parked in home driveways.

The number of guns stolen from vehicles climbed in the last two years, which makes sense since so many guns were purchased during that time period, many by new owners.

When I was working, my agency forbid us to leave a firearm in a parked car off duty. There would be no excuse if a firearm was stolen from one, and we would have to appear before a hearing, with possible job loss, if it did occur.

I obviously got into the habit of never doing that, even now retired I won’t do it, I don’t feel it’s safe. I wouldn’t want to provide a gun to a criminal, nor add to some anti gun stats.

If you leave a gun in a vehicle, what do you do to adequately safeguard it?
 
More people are carrying (either licensed or in "constitutional carry" states). More places such as businesses and government offices, etc., are off-limits to guns. So what do people do? Leave their guns in their cars. Even if the cars are locked (and certainly if they are unlocked!), the guns can be stolen from them. So obviously, as night follows day, the number of gun thefts from cars is increasing. What is so surprising in this?
 
I wouldn't have thought that would be news.

I've had 2 stolen from vehicles. The 1st was my fault. I simply forgot to bring a G19 in the house one night after getting home. I didn't realize it was gone until late the next day. It was recovered one month later in the next county over when some drug dealers were arrested. It took 8 years to get it back. The DA didn't want to return it until the case was completely resolved.

I've been very vigilant about not leaving one in a vehicle overnight since then.

The 2nd one I don't feel so bad about. My wife and I had been running some errands and I took it off to go into the post office. We then went to eat lunch and I left it in the console of my locked truck. When I got home it wasn't in the console.

The theft showed up on a security camera, but not enough details nor a tag number to make an arrest. It seems that you can buy a device that will steal the radio signal when you lock doors with your key fob. A thief can then clone another key fob to unlock your door.

About 10 minutes after we went inside the thief walks up to my truck and unlocks the doors with his key fob. You can see the headlights flash when he hits the remote. He was in my truck only about 10-15 seconds and even locked it when he left. This guy was a pro.

That gun was recovered 15 months later, but 700 miles from home. It was a $250 Ruger LC9s and wasn't worth driving 1400 miles and 3 days on the road to get it back. I told them they could keep it.

A PSA. When leaving your vehicle lock the door by pressing the lock button inside the truck. You can use the fob to unlock it when you return. Thieves sit in parking lots watching people lock their doors as they leave to steal the signal.

Stealing your fob signal is a one-time use thing. I've been told that if someone steals it they can only use it to unlock your door one time.
 
AlexanderA said:
More people are carrying (either licensed or in "constitutional carry" states). More places such as businesses and government offices, etc., are off-limits to guns. So what do people do? Leave their guns in their cars. Even if the cars are locked (and certainly if they are unlocked!), the guns can be stolen from them. So obviously, as night follows day, the number of gun thefts from cars is increasing. What is so surprising in this?
Click to expand...
The surprise to me is that people still leave guns in cars, knowing there is a good chance of it being stolen.

My take on it is if you know you’re going to a place that doesn’t allow guns, leave it home.
 
I have a Hornaday gun safe hooked to the frame of the seat in my truck. If I have to leave my gun behind it just takes a sec to lock it up. The only downside is you lose "instant access" should you need it when you get back.
 
Speedo66 said:
The surprise to me is that people still leave guns in cars, knowing there is a good chance of it being stolen.

My take on it is if you know you’re going to a place that doesn’t allow guns, leave it home.
Click to expand...
Or at the very least, keep your gun both locked up and preferably well-hidden in your vehicle. Also pro-2A decals and stickers on your car might as well say "Free guns inside!" to thieves
 
I don't leave my gun in my car. I am lucky enough to live in Arizona where firearms carry is quite normal and unremarked upon. If the premises of the place I wish to visit has a sign up...I go somewhere else. There are enough places I can go to for the various things I need that don't restrict my rights, so no need to go to Buffalo Wild Wings. Seriously.
Having said all that junk, I would have to say if you leave your valuable item, (gun, necklace, wallet, etc.), in an unlocked car, eh, stupidity has it's own rewards. Yes, the criminal had no right to be in there, a conceivably a simple closed door should have been enough to say, "not yours, stay out", but reality is thugs walk around trying car door handles at night in MANY locations, some very nice and sedate. So, don't be stupid.
Last - I never, ever lock my car in whatever parking lot with the fob - I use the key. Yes, still have a metal key. I will UNLOCK it with the fob on the way OUT...if Junior wants to follow me for a chance to beebop into my car when I go in the house, he will be..."most disappointed".
 
A home security video shared by a local, small town police department near me convinced me to never have an unsecured firearm in a vehicle. The video is only 30 seconds long, but in it, a roving gang of miscreants steal 3 firearms. They bust the window, jump in and check the glove box, under the seat, and rests. Before going to the next. Even a locked vehicle doesn't offer much resistance to smash and grab thieves.
 
It’s pretty regular around here right after school gets out for summer that roving groups of kids sweep neighborhoods opening doors looking for truck guns. This is where a lot of these minors are getting the guns they’re using on each other.
 
I have a lock box that is tethered to the seat frame that I lock my gun in if I'm going in somewhere where it's not allowed, ie: post office, hospital, etc . Other than that it is always on my person. Not to say that it couldn't be stolen from the lockbox, but it is unlikely that a smash and grab thief is willing to take the amount of time required to get into it.
 
There was a conference held here a couple of months ago by the Sheriff and Chief of Police that there was an increase of guns stolen from vehicles. I believe in truck guns but never have left one in a vehicle.
 
Surprise! All about 60-80% WRONG IMHO! Surprise! The bad guy is the...bad guy! Enabled by a bad guy a.k.s. local prosecutor/revolving door of justice holder-opener person! HEY I'm the judge, that's MY title perhaps?


Yes its true and ever so since time began, some ppl are bad actors. It's NEVER ever ever been successful stratagem, blaming the VICTIM for the criminals behavior. AND IT NEVER WILL WORK. NEVER! Blame, punish the criminal, when things get worse, INCREASE THE PENALTIES or hire the local ppl who will (pros. & judges are elected positions).
 
https://www.wpri.com/new-england/ma...from-state-troopers-cruiser-in-massachusetts/

"Former Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis said officers take many steps to secure their weapons, making it more of a sophisticated break-in."

“'There is usually a process of things to go through to get that thing open. That would indicate inside knowledge of how systems work,' Davis explained. 'That doesn’t mean someone within the police agency, but someone who may work in the industry.'”

That turned out to be a couple of teenagers.

I used to have one of those vehicle lockbox with the cable. I used it for airline travel. I lost the key/combo and pried it open with a screwdriver. A screwdriver is one of the most common burglary tools there is. The lockbox is going to stop a guy who is trying doors, but so is a locked door.

I got scolded by a cop for allowing $2000 of tools to be stolen from my vehicle. Apparently, he's never had a real job, and thinks every electrician, plumber contractor, etc. unloads his van every night, and loads it up in the morning, before driving it to Miami and parking it outside a customer's business where it's going to get broken into anyway.

As for just leaving the gun at home, I had a 160 mile round trip commute, and I usually had no idea where they were sending me for the day. Could be Liberty City, could be the port. I never thought twice about the gun being stolen, with everything else I had in the vehicle.
 
An in-law of mine had his pistol stolen from his car. I hope all people like that lose their gun rights. You should know better.
 
I read a similar article last month and it mentioned that the vehicles that tended to be targeted were ones that someone would associate with a gun owner, esp those with decals that were gun related.

I read in San Francisco, people were leaving their cars open because people would break in to cars and search for things of value, so why not just leave the car open and empty so you don't have to repair a broken window.

It's a sad situation.
 
I’m going to be the first to take credit for this …. why isn’t there an app that texts you when you leave your vehicle to make sure you took your firearm out? I mean, I get text updates after driving and parking on my vehicle location and another one to make sure I checked my backseat for anything left behind (ie child).


Who wants to invest with me and we can develop an app??
 
Speedo66 said:
The surprise to me is that people still leave guns in cars, knowing there is a good chance of it being stolen.

My take on it is if you know you’re going to a place that doesn’t allow guns, leave it home.
Click to expand...

I can relate to this. I travel to and from the courthouse almost every day. I don’t pack my CCW on these days. Now any other day I am in causal dress and running errands, I’ll slip it on.

For me, it’s about planning my movements for the day. YMMV
 
I don’t want little thug muffins getting access to guns they shouldn’t have. It’s a shame to see they get them from us through negligence.
 
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