With Houston police crime data showing 2023 outpacing last year in terms of gun thefts, officers are warning that thieves are laying in wait at places that they know gun owners can't go in armed.
HPD said criminals used to go after laptops and tools when they broke into cars but found them not as valuable on the resale market as guns.Coming off of a year with elevated statistics, the number of gun thefts so far in 2023 is set to outpace the previous.
In 2021, about 3,700 guns were stolen from cars, according to Houston police statistics. The following year, about 4,400 were taken, which is about an 18% increase.Both January and February showed about a 12% increase, while March fell by three stolen guns compared to March 2022. Sgt. Tracy Hicks with Houston police's auto theft division said criminals used to go after laptops and tools when they broke into cars but found them not as valuable on the resale market. Guns, however, are."The people that are buying these stolen guns are not people that are allowed to go and buy guns," Hicks said. "To say 4,400 guns are in the hands of people that aren't supposed to have guns is scary, and it's concerning.
HPD is working alongside other elected officials in the city to hand out gun safes that can be put in cars. They have already given out 1,000 and have plans to hand out several thousand more."There's never ever a time to leave your gun unsecured in your vehicle," Hicks said. "I don't want to hear one excuse. 'Well, I was going to be in here a minute' or 'I thought I hid it well' or 'I forgot it.' No, no, that's not an option.
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