DELAND, Fla. – Police in DeLand are urging individuals to lock their car doorways and never depart weapons in their automobiles after weapons have been stolen in a latest rash of break-ins.
DeLand police stated 10 residents reported that their automobiles have been burglarized Tuesday night time, and in two circumstances, the suspects stole weapons.
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This comes as police say that they’ve been tackling a spike in shootings and gun violence not too long ago.
“What these folks are doing is looking for a crime of opportunity,” DeLand Police Chief Jason Umberger stated.
DeLand police stated most of the time thieves are simply searching for unlocked automobiles to allow them to rummage by way of private belongings.
The string of burglaries has pissed off police, who’ve been working with the sheriff’s workplace on a activity drive in the town’s south facet to curb gun violence.
“They’re perpetrating these crimes normally with stolen handguns, and now, we have three more handguns out on the street that could potentially be used in further criminal activities,” Umberger stated.
The activity drive was created after seven shootings have been reported in the span of three weeks during November. Police reported that one particular person was killed, and two individuals have been injured in these shootings.
Police additionally warned that gun homeowners mustn’t depart weapons in their automobiles, regardless of whether or not the car is locked.
“Guns stolen during break-ins can end up on the streets, creating a public safety issue,” Umberger stated. “You can protect yourself and the community by taking proper precautions and securing your car.”
Following the latest break-ins, some residents of a close-by cell residence park stated they’ve realized a lesson.
“Put your guns in the house,” stated Gerald Hubert. “My son lives here, and they got his gun out of his vehicle.”
According to an Everytown for Gun Safety evaluation of FBI crime knowledge, at the very least one gun is stolen from a car in the United States each quarter-hour, on common. In 2020, over half of gun thefts have been from automobiles, and automobiles parked at residences have been the most typical supply of stolen weapons.
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