The obvious objection to “gun-free zones” is that they don’t prevent anyone will criminal intent from carrying out a crime. If someone’s willing to commit mass murder, armed robbery, or aggravated assault, a sign telling them not to bring their gun into a particular location isn’t going to deter them.
Lawful gun owners, on the other hand, are more likely to abide by those restrictions. Most of us don’t want to deal with a misdemeanor charge or even a fine if we’re caught carrying, so we’ll avoid these “sensitive places” whenever we can. And when we do have to venture into a “gun-free zone”, we’re likely to leave our guns behind in our cars while we’re there.
According to a new report issued by the Council on Criminal Justice, criminals appear to be taking notice of the fact that, as more Americans are carrying for self-defense, there are more guns to be stolen outside of these “gun-free zones.”
The analysis found that while the overall rate of reported gun thefts remained steady between 2018 and 2022, gun thefts from motor vehicles rose sharply. The number of guns reported stolen from vehicles increased by 31% over the five-year period, while gun thefts during burglaries of homes and businesses fell by 40%. In large urban areas, the overall gun theft rate jumped by 42% between 2018 and 2022, while rural areas saw a 22% decline.
Why risk breaking into a home or business to steal a gun, not knowing if there’s someone inside who’s willing to defend themselves, when you can smash a car window or even open an unlocked door and check to see if someone’s left a gun behind? There’s a pragmatic reason why more thieves are targeting vehicles instead of brick-and-mortar locations.
Rural areas aren’t typically going to have as many “gun-free zones” as suburban and urban settings, which might help to explain why gun thefts in those locations saw a significant drop in gun thefts compared to more populated parts of the country.
The report’s findings suggest that parked cars have become a major weak point in firearm security — one that could be addressed through policy, public education and better data collection. Some states, including Colorado and Delaware, have recently passed laws requiring firearms stored in vehicles to be locked in secure containers. In recent years, several other states have considered similar measures, including legislation mandating safe storage and stricter reporting requirements for lost or stolen guns.
The best thing to do is allow lawful gun owners to keep their firearms on them as much as possible instead of having to disarm themselves in public. Even if a gun owner complies with a law requiring them to store a gun in a locked container within their vehicle, would-be thieves can always just steal the car itself, driving to a quiet location where they have the time and opportunity to gain access to the gun.
I’m sure that some of these thefts are taking place because people aren’t using their heads.Leaving guns in visible or easily accessible parts of their vehicle or leaving unsecured firearms in a car overnight or for extended periods of time is just a bad idea. But some of these thefts are undoubtably the result of gun owners being told to disarm themselves before entering “sensitive places” that aren’t really sensitive at all, giving thieves an opportunity to steal a gun that would otherwise have been securely attached to its rightful owner. If we want to reduce gun thefts from vehicles, let’s reduce the need to leave our carry guns in our cars, trucks, and SUVs in the first place.
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