We’re hearing this more often from police. They’re telling gun owners that certain stickers on your car (NRA, gun brands, something like this) make your vehicle a more likely target for criminals looking to steal a gun.
Last month the warning came from outside of Atlanta. A sheriff there said he’s seeing thieves focus on trucks with the stickers looking for a free firearm.
Now, it’s Houston where, according to KHOU 11, Chief Art Acevedo’s boys report more than 2000 gun have been stolen from vehicles this year, a big jump from last year.
“It’s not a good guy stealing your gun. It’s a bad guy using it for who knows what,” said Sgt. (Tracy) Hicks. “What is my gun being used for now? That’s scary.”
Gun owners — listen up! 👂 @houstonpolice say more than 2,000 guns have been stolen out of cars thru Oct of this year. Sgt. Tracy Hicks offers this tip and many more to make sure your gun doesn’t get stolen and fall into the wrong hands. More tonight on @KHOU #khou11 #gunsafety pic.twitter.com/24rLZ4nbF7
— Chris Costa (@ChrisCostaTV) December 5, 2019
This seems like common sense. But even if your vehicle has no flag-raising stickers, there are times when you’re forced to disarm yourself and leave your firearm behind.
Entering buildings such as schools, hospitals, or the post office while armed can result in a felony charge. Which means you either don’t carry at all when you know you’ll be in a designated no-go zone, or you leave it in your car…preferably in a locked container.
Not that going sticker-less is a sure way to avoid a break-in.
(Sgt. Hicks) said thieves are jugging from gun ranges, too, waiting for people to leave the range, and then take their guns at their next destination, knowing there are guns inside those cars.
Still, why advertise? So which is it? Will you keep your stickers and risk it or avoid putting anything on your car that lets thieves know there might be something valuable within?