Stolen guns on the rise despite drop in certain other crimes, St. Pete police say
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - New data shows certain crime on a downward trend in St. Pete, but police are still seeing a persistent trend when it comes to stolen guns.
The St. Petersburg Police Department released its latest quarterly report.
According to the report, from April to June, there were 63 stolen guns in St. Pete. Data shows 35 of those stolen guns were taken from vehicles, 27 were taken from a building and one was taken from a person.
However, police say they’re also seeing some encouraging trends regarding related crimes.
"Burglaries, as a whole, are down over 30%, and auto thefts are actually down over 40%," Asst. Chief Mike Kovacsev said.
Police say this is very important because burglaries and auto thefts go hand in hand with stolen guns.
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"Young adults and teenagers are, by far, the most prolific offenders when it comes to that," Kovacsev said.
Kovacsev says the vast majority of perpetrators involved in car break-ins and gun thefts are teens and young adults.
"When you leave them in a vehicle, whether it’s locked or unlocked, if a young juvenile is able to break into that vehicle, even if they can’t start and steal the car, they have an opportunity to take that firearm," he said.
Gun thefts are a problem everywhere. In Citrus County, a recent drug trafficking bust turned up 160 firearms.
"156 of them were stolen from a burglary in 2019 in Hernando County," Citrus County Sheriff Mike Prendergast said.
Police say stolen guns are often used in other crimes. In St. Pete, police say there have been two recent deadly shootings involving children.
"When they fall in the hands of a young juvenile who has no gun training, no understanding of the ramifications, it leads to things that, obviously, we can’t undo," Kovacsev said.
Police say this is a crime that can be largely prevented with help from the community.
"If you own a firearm, secure it, put it away, don’t allow children to have access to it and don’t allow somebody to be able to take that as an opportunity to utilize it in a crime," Kovacsev said.
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In the St. Pete Police Department’s quarterly report, data also shows 12 stolen guns were recovered between April and June. However, police say these guns could have been stolen months, even years ago, and are just now being recovered.
"I see it quite often," Kovacsev said. "Years later, it’s not always months, it could be years later, even decades later, when a firearm pops up."
If your firearm is stolen, police urge you to report it.
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