Lock up your guns
We often write about the importance of safe storage of firearms in this newsletter. Typically that implies storage inside the home, to prevent both the accidental and the intentional use of guns by children. But a new report from Everytown has us thinking about the storage of guns in cars this week.
The report, which analyzed crime data from 337 cities in the 44 states that share that information with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, found:
Nearly 112,000 guns were reported stolen in those cities in 2022, though the actual total is likely higher, as only about a third of states require owners to report lost or stolen guns.
The majority (51%) of stolen guns were taken from cars, most often when parked in driveways or outside people’s homes.
A gun is stolen from a car every nine minutes, and the theft rate is triple what it was as recently as 2013, rising from an estimated 21.0 thefts per 100,000 people to 63.1 per 100,000 people.
The gun-theft rate from cars is 18 times higher in cities with weaker gun safety laws vs. those with stronger laws.
Interestingly, thefts from vehicles in general are down about 11% over the same time period, so it’s not that more people are breaking into cars and simply taking guns they happen to find. Thieves are specifically targeting cars for firearms, which are then frequently used in other crimes, including armed robberies and homicides. Stolen guns are notoriously difficult to track, making it challenging for law enforcement agencies to recover them and hold perpetrators accountable. This lack of accountability further fuels the underground market for firearms, perpetuating a cycle of theft and violence that endangers our communities.
“People don't go to a mall and steal a firearm from a locked car to go hunting. Those guns are going straight to the street. They’re going to violent people who can’t pass a background check. They’re going to gangs. They’re going to drug dealers, and they’re going to hurt and kill the people who live in the next town, the next county, or the next state.” —Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives Director Steve Dettelbach
These disturbing findings underscore the need for all of us who own firearms to safely secure them to prevent them from getting into the wrong hands, whether that’s children at home or criminals on the street. By working together, we can mitigate these risks and create safer environments for everyone.
On the Hill
A broad expansion of federal background checks for gun purchases is set to take effect in less than two weeks. The Biden administration says the new rule, which addresses a loophole that allows tens of thousands of guns to be sold, often at gun shows, without background checks, was made possible by the 2022 Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA). But two Republicans who helped negotiate and pass the BSCA—Sens. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis—are challenging the new rule, saying it is “unconstitutional” and “not based on” the BSCA. —Spectrum News
We want to hear from you. Do you agree with Sens. Cornyn and Tillis? Let us know what you think here.
More on the Hill:
Bob Good introducing bill to protect gun silencers from federal regulation —Washington Examiner
In the Courts
A federal appeals court decided last week that people convicted of non-violent crimes can own guns. In U.S. v. Duarte, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a law prohibiting people from possessing guns if they were convicted of a crime punishable by more than a year in prison violates the Second Amendment. Citing the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 Bruen ruling, the justices said the law in question was not consistent with the nation’s historical tradition of gun regulation. —The National Desk
We say: We agree with this decision. Non-violent felons who have successfully completed their prison sentences and re-entered society are entitled to the same rights and privileges as any American. However, we have a different view with regard to perpetrators of violent crimes, including violent misdemeanors. Read more about it here.
More in the courts:
Honolulu agrees to 4-month window to grant or deny gun carrying licenses after lawsuit over delays —The Independence
New York ammo background check law upheld —The Reload
In the States
A candidate running for sheriff of Wexford County, Michigan, is pledging not to enforce Michigan’s red flag law. Eric Molitor, one of five people acquitted in the 2020 plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, has called the law “unconstitutional orders.” His Republican primary opponent, Sheriff Trent Taylor, says the red flag legislation is “the law of the land,” and he will abide by it. —Michigan Advance
We say: Thank you, Sheriff Taylor. Eric Molitor should consider the recent experience of Livingston County (MI) Sheriff Mike Murphy, who also initially declared the state’s red flag law “unconstitutional.” He is now using the law. “If there’s a tool that we can use in law enforcement to accomplish a goal, then why would we not use it?,” he has said. Red flag laws not only are constitutional, but they also work.
More in the states:
How the pandemic reshaped American gun violence —The New York Times
Louisiana: Parishioners at Louisiana church stop possible mass shooting —CBS News
Michigan: Tax exemptions for firearm safety devices take effect Monday —The Detroit Free Press
Minnesota: Senate approves bill increasing penalties for straw gun purchases; bans trigger devices that double rate of gunfire —CBS Minnesota
New Hampshire: Bill adding mental health records to gun checks hits a hurdle with some Senate Republicans —New Hampshire Bulletin
Pennsylvania: Gun safety bills fail in House by razor-thin margin —The Express
Utah: A look at Utah's road rage incidents involving firearms —Axios Salt Lake City
How are some states proposing to use artificial intelligence to keep our schools safe?
Last Friday, Missouri became the latest state to pass legislation that would help schools purchase software that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to detect firearms. Similar laws were enacted last year in Michigan and Utah, passed earlier this year in Florida and Iowa, and are being considered in Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, and Wisconsin.
ZeroEyes uses AI with surveillance cameras to identify visible guns, then flashes an alert to an operations center staffed around the clock by former law enforcement officers and military veterans. If verified as a legitimate threat by ZeroEyes personnel, an alert is sent to school officials and local authorities.
Kansas state Rep. Adam Thomas says he is hopeful that the new technology “prevents gun violence in the schools, and we can eventually get it in every school.” (Source: Associated Press)
Do you have a comment about any of these critical issues? Do you have a story to share? We’d love to hear from you. Please include your first name and state, and we may publish it in a future issue. Thank you for reading!
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Good stuff here today.