Stolen Guns On The Rise In Denver: Police

DENVER, CO – Denver police are seeing an "alarming" number of gun thefts, especially from cars, the department said today in a statement.

Through the first eight months of the year, police said, 347 guns were reported stolen in Denver, and 112 of those were taken from cars. In 2011, only 36 guns were reported stolen from cars in the same time frame.

The Denver PD recommends never leaving a gun in a parked vehicle.

"Smash-and-grab car break-ins can happen within a matter of seconds, and even a portable locking case is unlikely to deter a thief from stealing the case and firearm(s) it contains," police said in a press release Monday.

Stolen guns end up being used in other crimes, police said. Police gave an example of a gun stolen in May of 2017 that ended up being used in "a carjacking, two felony menacing incidents, and three separate incidents of unlawful discharge of a firearm," over the following six months.

If a firearm must be left in a vehicle for a brief time, police said, "gun owners are encouraged to keep the firearm out-of-sight, such as in the trunk where it may be more difficult for thieves to access, and to always roll up the windows and lock the vehicle."

“It is critical that we work together as a community to keep guns out of the hands of criminals,” said Denver Chief of Police Paul Pazen in a statement. “By taking simple preventive steps to secure firearms, we can make a positive impact on safety in our neighborhoods.”

Police recommend keeping firearms in locked gun safes that are not easily removed from the home, and keeping windows and doors locked to prevent burglaries.

Image via Shutterstock

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