hoardingthemanual
Member
It’s never the people you “want” stealing guns that steal guns.
Alarming Trend, High Percentage of Guns Stolen Are From Vehicles
- Thread starter Speedo66
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Seems around my hood in north Ga folks will leave firearms in a unlocked car/truck. Every so often get a notice from ring neighbors about something being stolen out of a unlocked vehicle. Zero smash and grabs. Just folks looking for unlocked vehicles. Usually late at night 12-4 AM.
Anchorite
Member
You said, “a secure LE facility.” Not sure what you mean by that, but let’s just give you the benefit of that example. Now take my local jail and local courthouse. Both have security on site. Therefore arguably, a “secure LE facility.”
There is no “screening station” for a lawful, citizen to disarm and secure their weapon to enter either facility. Not to mention no way to “inform” the gatekeepers I’m armed well in advance of setting foot inside either said facility.
Some places should probably remain “gun-free,” and of the ones I can avoid, I will try to do so. I can say that my local authorities, local legislators and many local business will likely resist any such efforts to “expand” constitutional carry beyond what has already been expanded.
I’m perfectly fine with that.
A few years ago a disgruntled party left the courthouse after not faring so well in his divorce. He brandished a rifle that he kept in his vehicle around the courthouse square. Didn’t go so well for him. And there was an incident in an Atlanta courthouse years ago that didn’t go so well for others.
Point is, I get your point, but we cannot rely on other individuals to act responsibly or accordingly, no matter the level of, or lack of, restrictions and accommodations. Choose wisely. Always maintain situational awareness and check your six.
Anchorite
Member
We’ve had local cops have their duty ARs swiped from their vehicles while parked at their home. Almost always it’s kids.
Come to the beach for the summer and see how many vehicle thefts involving guns are reported.
.455_Hunter
Member
The location in question was not a courthouse, but a county sheriff's operational headquarters in the Denver metro area. I was there to discuss the theft of equipment from one of my company's remote facilities. It was refreshing how they respected armed citizens.
DeepSouth
Random Guy
yep guns getting stolen from a vehicle is the criminals fault, certain measures can be taken help prevent that, but they should not be mandated…. The criminals should imprisoned.
Some of us carry in the bank frequently and have no problems…. Mean while criminals aren’t really know for obeying laws. What could go wrong, well not much that doesn’t already go wrong.
This is funny to me because it’s exactly how our local courthouse works, if you forget to disarm the deputy says something to the effect of “I’ll just keep it til’ you leave if you want” and you have the option to do exactly what you said…. And fwiw I’m fine with it, I honestly can’t think of a reason not to be.
Something to keep in mind when the “felons getting back gun rights back” argument… that 70-80 recidivism rate is for a reason. But that’s another topic.
wally
Member
How is having something stolen from a locked vehicle negligence? Sounds like blaming the victim. Extrapolate your position and it ends up as "we can't have nice things".
Anchorite
Member
We’re both fortunate to live in Alabama. That said, I’m not aware of any bank in south Alabama (Mobile / Baldwin) that specifically allows one to carry into their branches. All have signs posted.
Secondly, courthouses in Mobile and Baldwin county won’t accommodate a CCW like you’ve experienced. Officers don’t want anybody touching a weapon and handing it over to the officer.
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Anchorite
Member
This is why most efforts to criminalize the loss of a firearm have failed. And we all know that you can’t legislate responsibility. Criminals are criminals because they didn’t follow the law in the first place. Punishing law abiding citizens for not being responsible remains largely a civil issue, not a criminal one.
Seedy Character
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Another "benefit" to Gun Free Zones.
The jack wads KNOW that Free Zone is easy target rich and the parking lot is too.
The jack wads KNOW that Free Zone is easy target rich and the parking lot is too.
.455_Hunter
Member
There was an article in the news recently about gun thefts from vehicles parked at Denver International Airport. Shockingly 
thieves were targeting vehicles with stickers/slogans aligned with the 2A community. In addition, simply being from out-of-state, like a crew-cab truck from Wyoming, put one at elevated risk. The problem with the airport is that thieves have been successful in cutting out catalytic converters from parked vehicles, so your cheapo lock box with a cable doesn't stand a chance. Everybody needs a beater covered in progressive talking points as a stealth mobile.
thieves were targeting vehicles with stickers/slogans aligned with the 2A community. In addition, simply being from out-of-state, like a crew-cab truck from Wyoming, put one at elevated risk. The problem with the airport is that thieves have been successful in cutting out catalytic converters from parked vehicles, so your cheapo lock box with a cable doesn't stand a chance. Everybody needs a beater covered in progressive talking points as a stealth mobile.
mmb617
Member
Gun thefts from vehicles isn't exactly something new. I recall when I got my first carry permit in the mid 70's the issuing sheriff warned me to never leave a gun in a car as that's where a lot of criminals get their weapons.
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DeepSouth
Random Guy
I am fortunate (at least imo) to live in a pretty rural county, a couple hours north of Mobile.
Also it is my understanding that that the signs are simply for looks, the 2 banks I deal with don’t even have signs, but they are locally owned.
.455_Hunter
Member
I only posted "bank" that can recall here in Denver Metro was Security Service Federal Credit Union. I visited them twice- immediately after a dealership had establish our car loan with them, and a week later when I transferred the loan- I gave the manager an earful on why the transfer was happening. I have not darkened their door since. Not an issue with Wells Fargo, Chase, First Bank, or any other I have visited.
Anchorite
Member
Obviously the extent to which a local branch follows a policy is up to that local branch.
Anchorite
Member
There was an article in the news recently about gun thefts from vehicles parked at Denver International Airport. Shockingly
Another reason to avoid bumper stickers on your vehicle and stick to the “gray man” methodology.
I had a gun safe stolen from a vehicle. It was empty at the time.
I work in Cybersecurity, and have worked on government jobs for my entire IT career. General guidance when leaving sensitive equipment in your vehicle (such as your work laptop) is that you don't leave it in the open. Under the seat, under a jacket, or in the trunk are best. It's much less likely something will be stolen if people don't know its there. The same applies to a gun or to a gun safe. Like Gandalf said to Frodo: keep it secret, keep it safe.
On top of that, just general car security. Lock your doors. Use an alarm if you have one. Park in well-lit, well-travelled areas where people are less likely to have the time to break in. And if the gun doesn't need to be in the car, keep it on you or keep it in a more secure location.
I work in Cybersecurity, and have worked on government jobs for my entire IT career. General guidance when leaving sensitive equipment in your vehicle (such as your work laptop) is that you don't leave it in the open. Under the seat, under a jacket, or in the trunk are best. It's much less likely something will be stolen if people don't know its there. The same applies to a gun or to a gun safe. Like Gandalf said to Frodo: keep it secret, keep it safe.
On top of that, just general car security. Lock your doors. Use an alarm if you have one. Park in well-lit, well-travelled areas where people are less likely to have the time to break in. And if the gun doesn't need to be in the car, keep it on you or keep it in a more secure location.
Sad to say the days of leaving a handgun in a vehicle, or a rifle in a gun rack are long gone. I'm pretty lucky where I live. There is crime in my town, but virtually none whatsoever in my part of town. It's a nice neighborhood. I could leave hundred dollar bills in my unlocked car in my driveway, and they would stay there indefinitely.
If we carry, there are times we have to leave our firearms in the vehicle, but never overnight anywhere, not even my crime-free driveway. If I leave a firearm in my car for a short period of time it goes in the trunk. If It's the truck it goes in a locked glove compartment with the doors locked of course, and the car alarm on.
^^^ problem is, if a thief does breach the locked doors, the glove compartment is one of the first places he'll look, if he has the tools to pry it open. Perhaps the only things we should keep in the glove compartment are gloves.
This thread is food for thought. As we advocate for 2A rights we have to take measures to secure our firearms 100% and keep them out of the wrong hands. We are culpable when a criminal can easily steal our guns. We need to have our guns so secure in our cars that the perp would have take the whole car.
If we carry, there are times we have to leave our firearms in the vehicle, but never overnight anywhere, not even my crime-free driveway. If I leave a firearm in my car for a short period of time it goes in the trunk. If It's the truck it goes in a locked glove compartment with the doors locked of course, and the car alarm on.
^^^ problem is, if a thief does breach the locked doors, the glove compartment is one of the first places he'll look, if he has the tools to pry it open. Perhaps the only things we should keep in the glove compartment are gloves.
This thread is food for thought. As we advocate for 2A rights we have to take measures to secure our firearms 100% and keep them out of the wrong hands. We are culpable when a criminal can easily steal our guns. We need to have our guns so secure in our cars that the perp would have take the whole car.
.308 Norma
Member
Never mind.
Please reply with your full address, and the make/model of your vehicles, including plate numbers. I wouldn't want to waste time by breaking into the wrong vehicles.
(All in good fun)Tools? I've grabbed a lot of parts out of junkyards, and I don't think I've ever seen a glovebox I couldn't just yank open with my hands. "breach the locked doors"? I've broken car windows by accident. It's not that hard to do it on purpose. Getting into a car is as simple as having a center punch, a piece of spark plug, or just anything that happens to be lying around. One of my friends, as a teenager, used to the shoot them out with a bb gun, wait in the bushes about 10 minutes and see if anyone noticed, then go through the car. He thought he was really cool.
Yeah, it takes a modicum of skill to get car doors open without breaking something but criminals don't care about that.
True enough. I carried a center punch to break car windows if needed when I worked in a police department with the dual role as patrolmen and EMT. So yeah that's easy. Gloveboxes are a different story. Some are designed very well, while others are as you say... no tools needed. The one I have in my old truck would take a decent size pry bar to pop. My point was, a lot of us need to think and rethink how we secure our firearms when we have to leave them in our vehicles to enter a gun free business or government building. It's on us!
That being said, a lot of these thefts are opportunists with no tools and no plan. In many cases a car alarm going off in a public araea may be enough to dissuade a would-be thief and send them packin'. Yet we can't count on that. So gun owners have to do better.
We can't very well make the argument that most gun crimes are committed with stolen guns if we don't take securing our guns dead seriously. The antis can still make the point that there are "Too many guns on the streets" to quote one of their talking points.
Ignition Override
Member
If guys realized that a Child’s Life easily can be at risk (eventually ) , due to any stolen handgun…
…would many more legal gun owners Then try to find a small lock box for a car, connected with a thin cable to a seat frame?
…would many more legal gun owners Then try to find a small lock box for a car, connected with a thin cable to a seat frame?
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Old Dog
Member
The "it's for the children" emotional appeal is probably unnecessary here. Responses in the thread seem to indicate most here either don't leave unsecured firearms in the vehicles or have a method of securing them. Have yet to detect any forum members who don't understand the gravity of the stolen firearm problem.If guys realized that a Child’s Life easily can be at risk (eventually ) , due to any stolen handgun…
…would many more legal gun owners Then try to find a small lock box for a car, connected with a thin cable to a seat frame?
Do guys with unsecured handguns have a Little Girl or Little Boy?
Ignition Override
Member
Old Dog; my intention was not to sound like the Antis. Not one bit.
If the vast majority of folks who need to leave a handgun in a car have a reasonably secure box in which to lock them up (such as mine, in the Outback), that’s super.
Sidenote: one observation by Hotel Security a year ago in Nashville was the assumption by car burglars that a majority of handgun owners drive trucks.
That’s why he told me that various trucks seemed to be the main targets among hundreds of break-ins. At our Hampton Inn by Vanderbilt U. in just one night three cars were broken into.
If the vast majority of folks who need to leave a handgun in a car have a reasonably secure box in which to lock them up (such as mine, in the Outback), that’s super.
Sidenote: one observation by Hotel Security a year ago in Nashville was the assumption by car burglars that a majority of handgun owners drive trucks.
That’s why he told me that various trucks seemed to be the main targets among hundreds of break-ins. At our Hampton Inn by Vanderbilt U. in just one night three cars were broken into.
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