CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte-Mecklenburg police are trying to stop stolen guns from getting into the wrong hands.
What You Need To Know
CMPD reports an increase in guns stolen from vehicles
CMPD says 239 guns were stolen from cars so far in 2022
About 66% of those were stolen from unlocked cars
AR Tactics in Charlotte teaches courses on gun safety, self-defense and more
Nicole Thurman is a firearm instructor and co-owner of AR Tactics. It wasn’t her first career. She is also a registered nurse. She lives on her own with her youngest son. She decided it was important to educate herself and others on how to use a firearm.
“Would I be able to keep myself and others safe while I use a firearm and would I make the right decision?” Thurman said. “Everything we do here is designed to help you answer yes to those.”
She always keeps her weapons locked up. That includes in her home and her car. Thurman’s colleague Joe Graham used to work in law enforcement. He said, first, gun owners should make sure they lock their cars. Then, invest in a good firearm safe as a second level of protection.
“This [the safe] has a lanyard on it that is made out of steel,” Graham said. “So it won’t be easy for them [the perpetrator] to just take the safe and run.”
And that’s not all. He says don’t put anything on your car, like a sticker, that could hint a weapon is inside.
“The worst thing you can do as a gun owner is to take these stickers and put them on our cars, because you are telling the perpetrator that you have a gun,” Graham said.
The safety steps don’t end there. Thurman says gun owners can also put a lock on their guns so someone else can’t fire them.
“People think that all they need to do is buy guns and ammo to be safe and that is not true,” Thurman said. “They need to train. They need to know how to secure them and to know how to make the right decisions with them. It is a tremendous responsibility to own a firearm."
CMPD says it has arrested several people recently who are accused of stealing guns out of cars. But more important, CMPD says it’s essential gun owners take steps to make sure their weapons are locked away to prevent theft in the first place.