Auto Break-Ins and Stolen Guns

[Dale]

The Sheriff says that thieves target cars with Second Amendment bumper stickers or other indications that the owner owns a gun or has one in the car.

Seven firearms were stolen in a rash of auto burglaries in Lakeland, Florida. There were 38 auto break-ins over three nights in March and May. Some of the cars were found unlocked. Two of the stolen firearms have been recovered, but only because they have already been used in a crime. Six suspects have been arrested. One of them said that he can sell a stolen gun for $300 on the street.


All of the guns pictured in the Youtube video are handguns.

Under Florida’s weak and tepid gun laws, gun owners are not required to report stolen guns.

The Sheriff says that no one should leave a gun in a car overnight.


Newspaper story:
6 people charged with stealing guns from cars in South Lakeland neighborhoods

Fox News video on Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRIPM1qFnho

 

[eleos1954]

The Sheriff says that thieves target cars with Second Amendment bumper stickers or other indications that the owner owns a gun or has one in the car.

Seven firearms were stolen in a rash of auto burglaries in Lakeland, Florida. There were 38 auto break-ins over three nights in March and May. Some of the cars were found unlocked. Two of the stolen firearms have been recovered, but only because they have already been used in a crime. Six suspects have been arrested. One of them said that he can sell a stolen gun for $300 on the street.


All of the guns pictured in the Youtube video are handguns.

Under Florida’s weak and tepid gun laws, gun owners are not required to report stolen guns.

The Sheriff says that no one should leave a gun in a car overnight.


Newspaper story:
6 people charged with stealing guns from cars in South Lakeland neighborhoods

Fox News video on Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRIPM1qFnho

People should not put ANY bumper stickers on their car that suggests a political point of view. Also, your car should be void of any guns ... unless you are in it. I don't even put things on my car related to Christianity either not because I'm ashamed of it ... but because I know there are people out there that are anti-Christian and could very well act on that mind set.

I don't put anything at all on my car and keep it locked at all times.

 

[Dale]

People should not put ANY bumper stickers on their car that suggests a political point of view. Also, your car should be void of any guns ... unless you are in it. I don't even put things on my car related to Christianity either not because I'm ashamed of it ... but because I know there are people out there that are anti-Christian and could very well act on that mind set.

I don't put anything at all on my car and keep it locked at all times.

When I was President of my Homeowners Association, I once had to call a wrecker to tow an illegally parked car. The wrecker driver looked in the window and told me that there was a gun inside. He said that the law didn’t allow him to tow a car with a gun inside. I’m certain that there is no such law. It’s more like he saw that the owner of the car was a gun owner, and as a fellow gun owner, he refused to tow the car.

 

[FireDragon76]

When I was President of my Homeowners Association, I once had to call a wrecker to tow an illegally parked car. The wrecker driver looked in the window and told me that there was a gun inside. He said that the law didn’t allow him to tow a car with a gun inside. I’m certain that there is no such law. It’s more like he saw that the owner of the car was a gun owner, and as a fellow gun owner, he refused to tow the car.

Why presume he was being dishonest? As a tow truck driver, he would know more about state and federal laws pertaining to towing a vehicle.

 

[Dale]

Why presume he was being dishonest? As a tow truck driver, he would know more about state and federal laws pertaining to towing a vehicle.

Lying about the law is a national pastime. When I lived in an apartment in Georgia, about once a month I would come home and find that pest control had sprayed insecticide all over my apartment. About all I could do is open the windows and leave, going out to eat whether it was in the budget or not. The spray had no effect on the army of roaches in the place. The pest control guy once told me, “There is a Federal law that you have to allow pest control to spray your apartment.” I told that to a lawyer, who thought it was hilarious.

 

[ThatRobGuy]

The fact that a lot of cars in Florida have pro 2A bumper stickers doesn't surprise me... the fact that they're leaving the guns in their car (vs. carrying them) does surprise me. How many "Florida Man" news stories have we seen about guys carrying coked up alligators into a convenient store...but they leave their Glock in the car? ...okay, I'm being partially comical on that one (although there have been stories about "Florida Man" taking an alligator into a store.

I'm not one to put my political views on my car (I think that's kinda tacky no matter who does it), but as a CCW holder, if I'm going somewhere that allows me to carry, the gun stays on my hip. If I know I'll be going somewhere that my CCW permit doesn't afford me carry privileges to, my sidearm stays home in the safe that requires my thumbprint to open it.

Putting a "This car is protected by Smith & Wesson" bumper sticker on the car and leaving it in the car is tantamount to saying "Hey, if you've got a hammer...free gun!"

 

[Pommer]

The fact that a lot of cars in Florida have pro 2A bumper stickers doesn't surprise me... the fact that they're leaving the guns in their car (vs. carrying them) does surprise me. How many "Florida Man" news stories have we seen about guys carrying coked up alligators into a convenient store...but they leave their Glock in the car? ...okay, I'm being partially comical on that one (although there have been stories about "Florida Man" taking an alligator into a store.

I'm not one to put my political views on my car (I think that's kinda tacky no matter who does it), but as a CCW holder, if I'm going somewhere that allows me to carry, the gun stays on my hip. If I know I'll be going somewhere that my CCW permit doesn't afford me carry privileges to, my sidearm stays home in the safe that requires my thumbprint to open it.

Putting a "This car is protected by Smith & Wesson" bumper sticker on the car and leaving it in the car is tantamount to saying "Hey, if you've got a hammer...free gun!"

Oh, most still have a gun on their person!, the “car-gun” stays in the car.

 

[rambot]

So are these nincompoops "good guys with guns"? Or bad?

 

[RDKirk]

When I was President of my Homeowners Association, I once had to call a wrecker to tow an illegally parked car. The wrecker driver looked in the window and told me that there was a gun inside. He said that the law didn’t allow him to tow a car with a gun inside. I’m certain that there is no such law. It’s more like he saw that the owner of the car was a gun owner, and as a fellow gun owner, he refused to tow the car.

More likely, winding up in possession of an unowned gun on their business premises was a legal hassle. It might even be construed as gun theft.

 

[FireDragon76]

More likely, winding up in possession of an unowned gun on their business premises was a legal hassle. It might even be construed as gun theft.

That's what I was thinking, too.

 

[RDKirk]

The fact that a lot of cars in Florida have pro 2A bumper stickers doesn't surprise me... the fact that they're leaving the guns in their car (vs. carrying them) does surprise me. How many "Florida Man" news stories have we seen about guys carrying coked up alligators into a convenient store...but they leave their Glock in the car? ...okay, I'm being partially comical on that one (although there have been stories about "Florida Man" taking an alligator into a store.

I'm not one to put my political views on my car (I think that's kinda tacky no matter who does it), but as a CCW holder, if I'm going somewhere that allows me to carry, the gun stays on my hip. If I know I'll be going somewhere that my CCW permit doesn't afford me carry privileges to, my sidearm stays home in the safe that requires my thumbprint to open it.

Putting a "This car is protected by Smith & Wesson" bumper sticker on the car and leaving it in the car is tantamount to saying "Hey, if you've got a hammer...free gun!"

The only thing I have on my vehicle is my military veteran status (plates, a couple of stickers). That's on the advice of my mother (an Army wife) 'way back when I first enlisted, who told me, "When you're traveling across the country, always have your uniform hanging in the back in case the police stop you." I think it's worked for me. Once I was stopped by an officer who caught me wandering a bit on the road one late night. The officer asked, "Are you the veteran?" I showed him my retired ID, and he said, "Thank you for your service. Stop somewhere and get some sleep."

My practice is always to have my firearm on my person. If I'm in an accident or any other situation, I'll always know where it is: On my person instead of having been ejected from the vehicle at some point during the accident.

 

[Desk trauma]

So are these nincompoops "good guys with guns"? Or bad?

Schrodinger's guy with gun.

 

[Dale]

Here is a story told to me by a lady who is no longer living. She went to the Mall, dropped off a friend, then went to do an errand. She came back to the Mall to pick up her friend. After parking, she noticed that there were a couple of small children in the next car, with the windows rolled up. Of course, you aren’t supposed to leave kids in a locked car in the sun.

What can I do about it? She thought. The boy in the front passenger seat was about four years old. He reaches forward, opens the glove compartment and pulls a handgun out. So now I’m next to a car where a four year old boy is playing with a gun, which is probably loaded, she thought. As she was contemplating this situation, there was a bang. The boy had fired the gun through the floor of the car. At this point, the mother returned, opened the car, yelled at the kids, and took the gun away.

After they drove off, my lady friend got out of the car and looked at the pavement. She easily found the hole where the bullet hit the pavement.

I can’t prove that this happened but it is plausible. There are many dangers to widespread ownership of guns and especially to carrying guns around in auto glove compartments.

 

[Dale]

A 2015 story in the Tampa Tribune provides further evidence of guns stolen from cars as a factor in violent crime.

Title: Stolen Guns Emerge as a Key to Rising Violence

Subtitle: 177 Thefts [of guns] Have Been Reported to Tampa Police This Year

Since this was reported at the beginning of July, the year was only half over.

“Sometimes, thieves target homes or cars where they know people have guns, and in other cases it is simply a crime of opportunity.”

“It’s a nationwide problem, with multitudes of news reports describing gun caches stolen from homes or vehicles and shootings where a stolen weapon was used.”

The article goes on to say that in the Tampa area there are cases of thieves breaking into marked police cars.

“Tarpon Springs officer Charles Kondek died in December after being shot by a convicted felon who got his hands on a gun that had been stolen from an unlocked car in Jacksonville.”

This story is from the Tampa Tribune, July 5, 2015.

 

[Estrid]

Here is a story told to me by a lady who is no longer living. She went to the Mall, dropped off a friend, then went to do an errand. She came back to the Mall to pick up her friend. After parking, she noticed that there were a couple of small children in the next car, with the windows rolled up. Of course, you aren’t supposed to leave kids in a locked car in the sun.

What can I do about it? She thought. The boy in the front passenger seat was about four years old. He reaches forward, opens the glove compartment and pulls a handgun out. So now I’m next to a car where a four year old boy is playing with a gun, which is probably loaded, she thought. As she was contemplating this situation, there was a bang. The boy had fired the gun through the floor of the car. At this point, the mother returned, opened the car, yelled at the kids, and took the gun away.

After they drove off, my lady friend got out of the car and looked at the pavement. She easily found the hole where the bullet hit the pavement.

I can’t prove that this happened but it is plausible. There are many dangers to widespread ownership of guns and especially to carrying guns around in auto glove compartments.

And as I learned wnile in the USA
where I was raprd and beaten half to
death, theres value in being able to defend
one's self.

 

[Avniel]

Most of the illegal firearms committing crimes in Jackson MS were stolen from cars. Children are learning how to break into cars just to get firearms. These kids are not buying these guns.

 

[Estrid]

Most of the illegal firearms committing crimes in Jackson MS were stolen from cars. Children are learning how to break into cars just to get firearms. These kids are not buying these guns.

Should be harsh penalty for gun in car.


But usa gets what its willing to tolerate

 

[Avniel]

Should be harsh penalty for gun in car.


But usa gets what its willing to tolerate

Then who would you get to work in places like Jackson, MS? I moved out of NYC because of the gun laws. In New York either you’re paying 3500(5 years ago), you’re a criminal, you’re a cop or you’re a potential victim. I’d rather be stopped on a dirt road in Vicksburg Mississippi than on a busy street in New York. The gun laws change the respect level even with the police officers. I work in Jackson but I live in Madison, if I didn’t have a firearm in my car and on my person I wouldn’t work there. My work helps people.

 

[Estrid]

Then who would you get to work in places like Jackson, MS? I moved out of NYC because of the gun laws. In New York either you’re paying 3500(5 years ago), you’re a criminal, you’re a cop or you’re a potential victim. I’d rather be stopped on a dirt road in Vicksburg Mississippi than on a busy street in New York. The gun laws change the respect level even with the police officers. I work in Jackson but I live in Madison, if I didn’t have a firearm in my car and on my person I wouldn’t work there. My work helps people.

See post #17.
But i should have specified
something about leaving overnight
or otherwise negligent.

 

[JustOneWay]

Should be harsh penalty for gun in car.


But usa gets what its willing to tolerate

After all this time you still do not understand many American's love and obsession with guns? Where have you been? All we do around here is argue that guns in America should be controlled while rightists claim we need MORE guns with no regulation. GUNS, GUNS, GUNS....so many that it is disturbing.