Lubbock Police on Thursday said firearm theft has reached disturbing levels.  

“Last month alone, 54 guns were stolen out of 38 vehicles that were burglarized,” police said.

Police also said, “Those 54 guns are now in the hands of criminals and are more than likely being used or traded for narcotics and other illegal activity.”

Police said stolen firearms can be used against law-abiding citizens or used against Lubbock Police officers. 

LPD said, “Owning a firearm is a great responsibility that includes securing the weapon at all times.”

The following is a copy of LPD’s statement including charts for 2015, 2016 and 2017.

A disturbing trend is on the rise in Lubbock, and our officers are hoping the public can help curb the problem. Over the last few years the Lubbock Police Department has noticed an increase in the number of firearms stolen out of vehicles.

Last month alone, 54 guns were stolen out of 38 vehicles that were burglarized. Those 54 guns are now in the hands of criminals and are more than likely being used or traded for narcotics and other illegal activity.
Taking a look at last year’s data, 384 guns were stolen out of 305 vehicles in Lubbock. Even more concerning, almost 100 of those firearms were stolen out of vehicles that were left unlocked.

While we are seeing a sharp increase in the number of stolen guns out of vehicles, we are not seeing a huge increase in the overall total of vehicle burglaries which leads us to believe gun owners are leaving their firearms in their vehicles more frequently. In many of these reports multiple guns were left in each vehicle.

With this issue coming to light, we would like to ask gun owners to protect their firearms. Owning a firearm is a great responsibility that includes securing the weapon at all times. Leaving a firearm unattended in a vehicle, especially if it is unlocked, is not a safe or secure place.

If the gun is left in the vehicle for some reason, a few safety tips include locking the gun in the trunk or securing the gun in a gun safe installed in the vehicle. However, a vehicle is never 100% secure.

While a gun owner may never intend to use their firearm to harm another person, when these weapons are stolen by criminals they can be used to commit other crimes or even be used against our officers who come in contact with criminals on a daily basis. In fact, during last month’s officer involved shooting, the suspect was armed with a stolen handgun. That gun had been reported stolen out of an unlocked pickup truck back in September.

As our officers and investigators try to tackle the issue of property crimes including vehicle burglaries, we ask that the public help us in preventing gun thefts by keeping firearms secured at all times. 

*Of the 601 firearms stolen in 2015 and 2016, only 82 were recovered by police. Chances of recovering a stolen firearm are slim because the guns are often sold and traded between criminals multiple times.

*Nearly 13% of all auto burglaries in January included vehicles where at
least one gun was stolen.