INVESTIGATES: Guns stolen from unlocked cars lead to Jacksonville crime

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Car break-ins are happening in unexpected neighborhoods and many of them lead to stolen guns, often taken from unlocked cars, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.

Of the nine guns stolen in car burglaries over the past week, five were taken from cars in Riverside.

Action News Jax dug through data from JSO which showed more than 11% of car burglaries city-wide lead to a stolen gun. On average, that’s almost one for every nine break-ins so far this year.

JSO said about a third of those stolen guns came from unlocked cars.

“People become too relaxed,” Donald Foy, the president of the crime-fighting group MAD DADS, said. “These guns are going right back into the hands of the ones committing the murders, drive-by shootings, and stuff like that.”

He said that’s because convicted felons and youth can’t buy a gun legally, so they get them off the streets.

Data from JSO showed Riverside, Avondale, Ortega, and the Westside make up the highest number of guns stolen from car burglaries. That’s followed by the Southside, Mandarin, and San Marco.

When looking at just car break-ins, all of those neighborhoods tied for the highest number of car burglaries because the doors were unlocked.

“Lock your car. Guns are too crucial when they get in the wrong hands,” Foy said.

The total number of guns stolen from car burglaries sits at 157, a slight uptick from 154 this time last year.

However, car burglaries, in general, are on the decline, according to JSO. From 2019 to 2021, the number has dropped by about 1,000.

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