Gun stores urged to boost security

2017 ATF report says thousands of firearms stolen

Burglaries of gun stores nationwide rose for the fifth year in a row in 2017, as federal firearm officials continue to warn gun store dealers of the need for increased security at their businesses.

According to this year’s Federal Firearms Licensee Burglary and Robbery Statistics report released Tuesday by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, a total of 577 stores that are licensed to sell firearms were burglarized in 2017, up from 558 in 2016.

The ATF reported 33 robberies at FFLs, the same number reported in 2016.

Thieves have stolen nearly 28,000 guns in 2,315 burglaries since 2013. Since that year, gun store burglaries have increased by 70 percent, according to ATF’s data. More than 7,800 of those guns were stolen in 2017, according to the recently released statistics.

The mounting thefts come as current and ATF officials have warned that gun stores need to not only ramp up security but also install protections at their businesses.

During Hurricane Harvey, for example, thieves stole more than 100 firearms from stores across Houston.

“Every successful break-in opens a new threat to our community and puts law enforcement officers at risk,” said David Chipman, a retired ATF special agent who now works for Giffords, a nonprofit aimed at reducing gun violence.

“Theft from gun stores is preventable,” he said. “When states require gun dealers to take responsible steps to prevent their stores from being burglarized — by properly securing not only their stores, but the firearms themselves — they eliminate the risk of thieves taking off with weapons.”