My Philly Daily On Crime Column: Stolen Guns Are Crime Guns

Philly Daily ran my On Crime column, which covers crime in the Greater Philadelphia region, on the need to secure firearms.

You can read the column via the link below or the following text:

Paul Davis: Stolen guns are crime guns – Philly Daily

I’m a gun enthusiast. I own several firearms and I have a Pennsylvania license to carry. Trained in firearm safety in the Navy, I properly secure my firearms and ammunition.

Unfortunately, some gun owners don’t. Because of that, there are three deadly scenarios that often play out:

A mentality unstable youngster radicalized by social media wants to kill students at his old school, but he can’t buy a gun, so he takes his father’s unsecured rifle to school and slaughters many innocent people.

A child discovers his mother’s unsecured handgun. Playing around, he accidentally shoots and kills his younger brother.

A burglar breaks into a home when no one is home and steals cash and jewelry. He sees an unsecured handgun on the nightstand next to the bed and he steals that as well. He sells the gun to a convicted felon who can’t legally purchase a firearm. The criminal uses the stolen handgun to commit an armed robbery, and he shoots and kills the store owner with it.

To prevent scenarios like these, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) released information on securing firearms.

 The Philadelphia ATF field office stated that they have seen a pattern repeatedly: unsecured firearms stolen from lawful owners, recycled through violent offenders, and used again and again to commit serious crimes.

“When a gun is stolen, it’s not just a loss—it’s a threat to our communities,” said Walter Shaw, a special agent with the ATF. “We can’t always stop someone who is determined to commit violence, but we can prevent many of the guns criminals use from ever getting into their hands.”

Shaw explained that investigators frequently trace violent crimes back to firearms taken from homes or vehicles where they were left unsecured, sometimes only briefly. Once stolen, those firearms often move quickly through illegal networks, making recovery more difficult and increasing the likelihood they will be used in multiple crimes.

“When we recover a stolen gun at a crime scene, we’re already past the point where prevention was possible,” Shaw said. “Secure storage is one of the few points where lawful gun owners can directly interrupt that chain before it starts.”

According to the ATF, most crime guns recovered in Pennsylvania were originally purchased legally within the state. In 2023 for example, ATF traced 17,027 firearms recovered during criminal investigations in Pennsylvania. Of those, nearly 10,000—approximately 59 percent—were originally sold in in our state.

The ATF stated that stolen firearms are a major source of the illegal firearms market. Nationally, 95 percent of stolen firearms are taken from private citizens. Pennsylvania recovery data shows that 94.8 percent of stolen firearms remain in-state. While Pennsylvania ranks as the nation’s ninth most common source for firearms trafficking, stolen firearms predominantly remain a threat to our own neighborhoods.

“Secure storage is essential,” Shaw warned. “Guns left unattended in homes, vehicles, or unsecured storage areas provide an easy path for theft and diversion into criminal hands. Firearms should be treated as potential community risks—any gun can be used in a crime if it falls into the wrong hands.”

The ATF stated that the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) encourages all gun owners to review their firearm storage practices and take steps to ensure firearms are properly secured. NSSF recommends using a combination of safety tools and educating family members on the core rules of gun safety and proper firearm handling.

• CABLE LOCK: Can be used on most firearms, allows for relatively quick access in an emergency, and provides basic protection from theft.
• GUN CASE: An affordable option to conceal, protect, or legally transport a registered firearm.
• LOCK BOX: Integrated locking mechanisms provide reliable protection and allow for legal transport outside the home.
• ELECTRONIC LOCK BOX: Prevents unauthorized access and allows only the individual with the code to access the firearm.
• FULL-SIZE AND BIOMETRIC GUN SAFES: Provide protection from theft and environmental damage while allowing safe storage of multiple firearms.

According to national FBI data, firearm thefts from vehicles have been increasing, particularly in rural areas and parking garages. About half of all firearm thefts from vehicles occur when cars are parked at the owner’s residence.

Locking vehicle doors does not provide secure firearm storage. Glove compartments and center consoles—even when lockable—are not secure and can be easily pried open. Firearms should never be left accessible to children.

Vehicle storage options vary widely in price and design. Some manufacturers offer custom solutions for specific vehicle models, including:

• CAR CONSOLE STORAGE: Custom-fitted units that provide concealment and deter theft.
• VEHICLE CARGO AREA STORAGE: Designed for transporting firearms to the range or field.
• CABLE LOCKS: Can be effective when secured to the vehicle and kept out of sight.
• If your firearm is lost or stolen, immediately contact your local law enforcement agency to report the incident. The “time-to-crime”—how quickly a stolen firearm is used in a criminal act—can be alarmingly short.
• Providing a complete and accurate description of the firearm is critical for law enforcement investigations, insurance claims, and recovery of the firearm.

“Responsible firearm ownership does not end at the point of purchase,” Shaw emphasized. “Secure storage is not just about preventing unauthorized access in the home—it is about preventing predictable, preventable harm when stolen guns fall into the hands of individuals willing to use them.”

Paul Davis’s On Crime column appears here each week. He is also a contributor to Broad + Liberty and Counterterrorism magazine. He can be reached via pauldavisoncrime.com.