Coming off of a year with elevated statistics, the number of gun thefts so far in 2023 is set to outpace the previous.
In 2021, about 3,700 guns were stolen from cars, according to Houston police statistics. The following year, about 4,400 were taken, which is about an 18% increase.
The statistics for the first three months of 2023 are already outpacing the previous year.
Both January and February showed about a 12% increase, while March fell by three stolen guns compared to March 2022.
Sgt. Tracy Hicks with Houston police’s auto theft division said criminals used to go after laptops and tools when they broke into cars but found them not as valuable on the resale market. Guns, however, are.