The rate of guns stolen from cars in the U.S. has tripled over the last decade, making them the largest source of stolen guns in the country, according to an analysis of FBI data by the gun safety group Everytown. The rate of stolen guns from cars climbed nearly every year and spiked during the coronavirus pandemic, along with a major surge in weapons purchases in the U.S. Stolen guns from cars have been turning up at crime scenes, including a tragic incident in which a gun taken from an unlocked car was used to kill a 27-year-old Coast Guard member. This alarming trend highlights the importance of safely securing firearms to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands.
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Director Steve Dettelbach emphasized the dangerous implications of stolen guns from cars, stating that these guns are often going directly to violent individuals who cannot pass background checks. The increase in stolen guns from cars has been significant, with nearly 112,000 guns reported stolen in 2022, over half of which were taken from cars parked in driveways or outside of homes. This is a significant increase from past years, when homes were the leading location for firearm thefts. Stolen guns have also been linked to tragic accidents, such as a case in which a 14-year-old boy accidentally killed his 11-year-old brother with a stolen gun found in an alley.
The report found that at least one firearm was stolen from a car every nine minutes on average in 2022, further underscoring the severity of the issue. While some measures have been taken at the local level to address this problem, such as an ordinance in Savannah, Georgia, requiring people to secure firearms left inside cars, there is still a lack of federal law mandating the reporting of stolen guns. The ATF has identified theft as a significant source of guns that end up in the hands of criminals, with more than 1 million guns reported stolen between 2017 and 2021. The vast majority of gun thefts are from individuals, and states with looser gun laws tend to have higher rates of gun ownership and gun thefts from cars.
The trend of stolen guns from cars has raised concerns about the potential for these weapons to be used in violent crimes. The report by Everytown highlights the need for Americans to take responsibility for securing their firearms and preventing them from being stolen. The ATF has found links between stolen guns and violent crimes, further emphasizing the urgency of addressing this issue. While the exact reasons for the increase in stolen guns from cars are not fully understood, the report suggests that states with looser gun laws and higher rates of gun ownership tend to have higher rates of stolen guns from cars.
Efforts to address the issue of stolen guns from cars have been met with challenges, such as pushback from state officials and a lack of comprehensive reporting requirements for stolen guns. The fact that stolen guns are ending up in the hands of criminals underscores the need for stronger measures to prevent these thefts and protect communities from the potential harm caused by stolen firearms. The ATF’s data on crime guns and stolen firearms provides valuable insights into the scope of the issue, and highlights the need for coordinated efforts at the federal, state, and local levels to address the trend of stolen guns from cars and reduce the risk of these weapons being used in violent incidents.
