“Gun Free Zone” Laws Are Arming Criminals

By Bob Owens

We’ve noticed a trend in recent months of law enforcement officers having their personal vehicles and professional vehicles alike targeted by gun and tactical gear thieves, as an officer in Fort Worth, Texas recently discovered, losing both a fully-automatic M4 and his tactical body armor to criminals.

Law enforcement agencies need to radically revisit the concept of leaving guns in their unattended vehicles. They are not alone, as their civilian counterparts are discovering that they have much the same issue.

In what’s been a violent year in St. Louis, a common theme has emerged: The gun used in any given crime was probably stolen.

The city is on pace for around 200 homicides in 2015, the most in 20 years. Meanwhile, reports of gun thefts are up nearly 70 percent, police chief Sam Dotson said. But it’s not homes, gun stores or pawn shops that thieves are targeting, Dotson said: It’s cars and trucks.

More than 170,000 Missouri residents hold concealed-carry permits and many bring guns when they venture to high-crime areas like St. Louis. Numerous city-dwellers, too, own firearms. But once they arrive at their destination, they often have to leave their guns behind.

“When they go to a baseball game or …read more

Source:: Bearing Arms