How many guns were stolen from unlocked cars in OKC? Police break it down

Oklahoma City Police reported on Wednesday that 442 guns were stolen in the city from unlocked cars last year.

Police said the trend this year is about one a day and we are only a couple weeks into January. Police said the best prevention is to not leave firearms in a car, second best is to secure guns in a lockbox and make sure your car doors are locked.

“It’s a crime of opportunity,” said Sgt. Dillon Quirk, Oklahoma City Police Department.

In videos posted by the Oklahoma City police on social media, you see how quickly a thief can walk away with someone's firearm.

“We’re seeing a lot of those taken when people simply leave their doors unlocked and firearms inside those vehicles,” said Quirk.

News 9 went to H&H Shooting Sports in southwest Oklahoma City to see what kind of gun safety products are available for vehicles.

“We as gun owners want to be responsible,” said Bob Cox, H&H Shooting Sports

Cox works at H&H and said gun safety for your vehicle can cost as little as $30. “I have mine through the seat frame and it sits inside here,” said Cox.

The gun lockbox can be bolted to the inside of a car or truck usually under a seat.

“The only way they’re going to get it is to carry the seat with them,” said Cox. “Whether you go with the simple $29 key lockbox or the $400 one here, it’s the same thing.”

 Police said gun owners who do not take precautions are making it easy for thieves to commit other crimes.

“We do see these firearms in the hands of many people who shouldn’t have them,” said Quirk. “And in turn, it can be used in other forms of crimes. So, we definitely want to put a stop to that.” 

Police advise citizens to have their firearm serial number written down somewhere, so in the event it is stolen or goes missing they have the number to give the police. 

Firearms stolen from cars are a problem across the country. The ATF recently reported more than one million firearms were reported stolen in the United States over a five-year period.