According to Everytown for Gun Safety, San Antonio ranks fifth for the highest rate of gun thefts from vehicles, following cities like Memphis and Atlanta.
SAN ANTONIO — A week ago, several homeowners in the French Creek Village woke up to alerts from their video surveillance systems. It showed a group of armed suspects attempting to break into their vehicles.
“Knowing that somebody was pointing a gun at my house and I wasn’t aware, like if I had gone outside, like what would have happened?” one homeowner who wanted to remain anonymous said.
The neighbors reported the incident to the police. Luckily, everyone had their doors locked and more importantly their guns, stored away.
San Antonio police have reported property crime has continuously risen in the city of the last few years. But more specifically, there is an issue with gun thefts. According to Everytown for Gun Safety, San Antonio ranks fifth for the highest rate of gun thefts from vehicles, following these other major cities:
- Memphis, TN
- Atlanta, GA
- St. Louis, MO
- Richmond, VA
The study was based off data from 2022. But the figures remained high in 2023, according to Alexander Testa. He is a professor at UT Health Houston School of Public Health San Antonio and is researching the issue. He started his work a year ago.
“San Antonio is one of the leading cities for firearm thefts from automobiles,” Testa said.
He said if you look at it a simple way, there are two major factors: the amount of gun ownership and the amount of people who drive. However, he chose to interview victims the past year and learn how they contributed to the problem.
“We’ve seen victims who are new gun owners,” Testa said. “We have seen victims who are lifelong gun owners.”
He said in some cases, it was as simple as the victim forgetting they had left the gun in their vehicle. But in a lot of cases, the crime happened when the victim was out and about.
“A lot of times people left their homes with their firearms, and they got to a location where bringing their guns inside was prohibited,” Testa said. “Like you end up in a bar, it’s an alcohol serving establishment, can’t have a gun in there.”
He said there is a higher rate of theft in major shopping centers like La Cantera, The Rim, North Star Mall, and then downtown outside hotels and bars.
He said thieves are targeting residential areas as well across the city.
“One of the best ways we can reduce is just reduce the opportunity for individuals to steal firearms and that’s just reducing the firearm storage in vehicles,” Testa said.
He said if you must store your gun in your vehicle, to have a safe that is bolted into the frame of the car. Testa said if San Antonio gun owners remain vigilant, they can make a difference in the amount of crime in our city.
“I talked with an individual who the week after his gun was stolen, it made the local news, there was a robbery, an armed-robbery and he found out a week later from law enforcement it was his firearm used in the armed robbery,” Testa said.