Guns stolen from cars count for 500 firearms stolen since 2018

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) -On average across the country, at least one gun is stolen from a car every 15 minutes, according to everytownresearch.org.

Law enforcement says this problem is also found in KOTA Territory.

David Switzer is a lieutenant with the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office and says that responsible gun ownership should be a priority.

Since 2018, more than 1,000 firearms have been stolen from the Rapid City area. Nearly 500 of those have been taken from vehicles.

“Stolen guns once they hit the streets, they can be sold on the black market, they can get into the hands of young kids, and also into the hands of other criminals. They’re used in crimes all the way from robbery to aggravated assault to homicide,” Switzer continued.

Switzer says the best way to stop guns from being stolen is to use gun safes. If you don’t have a gun safe, he suggests making sure either your house or car is locked, with alarms set if you have them.

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