This occurred about a mile or two from my house

[Darrell KSR]

Two men breaking into cars and stealing things got away this morning--crashed literally a mile from the front of my subdivision. They stole several handguns and a hunting rifle from the vehicles.

http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2012/12/2_men_armed_with_several_stole.html

OK, I'm going to stop linking stories and starting threads here. Just seems there's so much that touches on a hot topic right now. Our school and my home (I worked from home today) was on full alert. I have basketball practice in 2 hours, and will be very careful there, too.

[CitizenBBN]

Don't know if this one really touches on the current tragedy. Lot of crime out there and I've been surprised more criminals don't head into nicer neighborhoods than happens.

[Darrell KSR]

Yeah, I guess I'm stretching it here--it was sort of a corollary to the "at home invasion" story, showing people can be killed anywhere. Even laws that somehow identify who "bad guys" are won't work when they can steal the guns from law-abiding citizens. They didn't kill anyone in their spree, but they were armed and desperate.

[CitizenBBN]

I'm certainly for focusing on keeping guns out of the hands of criminals but we spend billions every year trying to keep meth and crack and heroin out of people's hands too, and it's a laughable failure. With guns it's worth trying b/c it doesn't cost billions to do so and guns are a means of crime and not a cause like drugs.

A lot of guns that make it to the criminal element are stolen, but there's not much to do except enforce the laws and lock anyone who uses a gun in a crime up for life, period.

I have no idea why we don't do that. If we're so worried about gun violence, and the vast majority of gun violence is criminals either shooting each other or innocent people in the commission of a crime, why not just make it a life sentence with no parole for using a gun in those situations?

A lot of the time prosecutors bargain away the gun charges, then run out and call for gun bans. Make use of guns in commission of crimes a far more serious crime than just robbing the gas station itself and you'll see a drop, all without impacting the rights or choices of law abiding citizens.

[Darrell KSR]

I don't want this question to be answered, but I was surprised that out of 9 cars burglarized, there were 3 handguns and a rifle. The rifle I can understand, I guess--I think it was from a truck and maybe they go hunting frequently. But the question I have is, how many people *keep* handguns in their locked cars at their homes? (And not garaged?) I guess they keep them in the glove compartment all the time?

I guess the incidence of it being stolen is infinitesimally small, so there's no compelling reason not to do it. Just surprised me.

[Darrell KSR]

A lot of the time prosecutors bargain away the gun charges, then run out and call for gun bans. Make use of guns in commission of crimes a far more serious crime than just robbing the gas station itself and you'll see a drop, all without impacting the rights or choices of law abiding citizens.

Could be because prisons are filled up with people with drug convictions there's no room for the lowly gun criminals....but that's another thread, isn't it?

[CitizenBBN]

I don't want this question to be answered, but I was surprised that out of 9 cars burglarized, there were 3 handguns and a rifle. The rifle I can understand, I guess--I think it was from a truck and maybe they go hunting frequently. But the question I have is, how many people *keep* handguns in their locked cars at their homes? (And not garaged?) I guess they keep them in the glove compartment all the time?

I guess the incidence of it being stolen is infinitesimally small, so there's no compelling reason not to do it. Just surprised me.

You'll get one anyway. :)

I don't, but in Kentucky it's legal to keep a gun in a factory installed compartment like a glovebox or a console. I have no idea how many leave one there, I never would, but I've heard enough about guns being stolen from cars to know folks do. I'd be shocked it were 33% like in that case (plus the rifle is more), but that's just speculation.

[Darrell KSR]

In Alabama, it's illegal to do so--unless you have a concealed weapon permit. I was always under the understanding that it was legal to keep it in your car, just as it is to keep in your home, or your place of business without a permit. I was right about the home and business, but wrong about the car.

Funny law, it seems to me. Of course, you can carry the weapon via your car from your home to your business, provided it is unloaded and "in a secure wrapper."

[CitizenBBN]

I think Kentucky is one of the few where you can carry a gun in a car without a permit. It used to be just the glovebox, no where else, but now is any factory installed compartment b/c some cars now don't have gloveboxes but just a center console. Under your seat and such you need the conceal carry permit.

I'd never do it, just too easy to break into a car, but as a kid I remember almost all of our trucks had rifle racks and we often went to town or wherever with rifles in it. Security was rolling up the windows so someone couldn't just reach in. I remember being told to do it.

The guns have changed little. M1s and Mini-14s, on the Feinstein ban list, were in the collections. The M1 was issued in WWII. The AR-15, the root of all evil, was first produced in 1959. My cousin had one when I was a little boy.

The country has changed a lot. Drugs, crime, a completely different culture in many ways.

Maybe that means the guns have to change, but they didn't cause this mess, and considering there's no sign of the country reversing course I don't like the idea of living through it without a gun.

[Lfbj00]

I don't want this question to be answered, but I was surprised that out of 9 cars burglarized, there were 3 handguns and a rifle. The rifle I can understand, I guess--I think it was from a truck and maybe they go hunting frequently. But the question I have is, how many people *keep* handguns in their locked cars at their homes? (And not garaged?) I guess they keep them in the glove compartment all the time?

I guess the incidence of it being stolen is infinitesimally small, so there's no compelling reason not to do it. Just surprised me.

D, your question made me think about my buddy. We went to the Liberty Bowl in Memphis 4 years ago when UK played ECU. We stayed at a hotel outside the Memhis city limits, and when we woke up the day after the game to leave, my buddies truck had gotten broke into at the hotel. He had his Glock in a gun safe stolen from inside the truck. They had cut thru the cable that had it secured to the seat frame, and took the whole safe. He had it registered, and he has his carry and conceal. Called the Memphis police and they took down all the info, but we never heard from them again.

[CitizenBBN]

In Memphis? You won't hear from the police b/c they're probably the ones that took it.

[KeithKSR]

I think Kentucky is one of the few where you can carry a gun in a car without a permit. It used to be just the glovebox, no where else, but now is any factory installed compartment b/c some cars now don't have gloveboxes but just a center console. Under your seat and such you need the conceal carry permit.

I'd never do it, just too easy to break into a car, but as a kid I remember almost all of our trucks had rifle racks and we often went to town or wherever with rifles in it. Security was rolling up the windows so someone couldn't just reach in. I remember being told to do it.

In Kentucky it is also legal for anyone to have a weapons in their car that is in plain sight. Decades before concealed carry my uncle was pulled over with a loaded .22 revolver, my other uncle told him just to lay it on the dash. No issues from the officer over it at all.

[CitizenBBN]

In Kentucky it is also legal for anyone to have a weapons in their car that is in plain sight. Decades before concealed carry my uncle was pulled over with a loaded .22 revolver, my other uncle told him just to lay it on the dash. No issues from the officer over it at all.

Yep. That's covered under open carry. Were a constitutional open carry state so you can carry a gun exposed without a permit including plain sight in a vehicle. Anti gun people argue in states trying to pass that legislation that it will be the "wild west". Ky has had it a long time and I rarely see anyone open carry and it's certainly not the wild west. Another asinine argument.

Anyway yes you can open carry in ky with no permit, conceal a gun in a car in a manufacturer installed compartment without a permit or put it anywhere or carry either way with a permit. The Law on it is very interesting and state variations are numerous; as it should be w each state's citizens deciding what works for them.

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