DELAND, Fla. – Police in DeLand are urging people to lock their vehicle doors and not leave weapons in their cars after guns were stolen in a recent rash of break-ins.
DeLand police said 10 residents reported that their vehicles were burglarized Tuesday night, and in two cases, the suspects stole guns.
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This comes as police say that they’ve been tackling a spike in shootings and gun violence recently.
“What these folks are doing is looking for a crime of opportunity,” DeLand Police Chief Jason Umberger said.
DeLand police said most of the time thieves are just looking for unlocked vehicles so they can rummage through personal belongings.
The string of burglaries has frustrated police, who have been working with the sheriff’s office on a task force in the city’s south side 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 said.
The task force was created after seven shootings were reported in the span of three weeks during November. Police reported that one person was killed, and two people were injured in those shootings.
Police also warned that gun owners should not leave guns in their vehicles, regardless of whether the vehicle is locked.
“Guns stolen during break-ins can end up on the streets, creating a public safety issue,” Umberger said. “You can protect yourself and the community by taking proper precautions and securing your car.”
Following the recent break-ins, some residents of a nearby mobile home park said they’ve learned a lesson.
“Put your guns in the house,” said Gerald Hubert. “My son lives here, and they got his gun out of his vehicle.”
According to an Everytown for Gun Safety analysis of FBI crime data, at least one gun is stolen from a car in the United States every 15 minutes, on average. In 2020, over half of gun thefts were from cars, and cars parked at residences were the most common source of stolen guns.
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