Ocoee police say carelessness is enabling thieves to steal guns

OCOEE, Fla. — Ocoee police said residents are being too careless, and it's putting stolen guns on the streets.

Just this year, more than a dozen guns have been stolen from cars that were left unlocked.

Unless a gun owner recorded the serial number, police have no way to know if it ends up being used in a crime.

For many, it's as simple as pressing a button, yet people still forget to lock their cars.

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Ocoee police said in more and more cases, there's a weapon left inside.

"Maybe you have the kids with you. You've got your hands full of groceries. You just don't go back out," Ocoee police Lt. Michael Bryant said. "What happens is that (a) door jiggler comes along, and now he's got a firearm."

In 13 of the 15 cases in Ocoee this year, the guns were taken from unlocked vehicles.

Thieves hit a town home community three times in two days. Each time they got away with a handgun and ammunition.

"You can't trace the serial numbers if we don't have them," Bryant said.

Guns don't have to be registered in Florida, so there's no way of knowing if a stolen firearm was later used in a crime unless the gun's owner wrote down the serial number, he said.

"Could it be a teenager who was just looking for sunglasses or an iPad, and now he has a firearm?" Bryant said. "That's the things that we're worried about."

The agency sees the issue as such a priority

It has posted a social media reminder an average of 10 times a month hoping to avoid this preventable crime

"Maybe you'll get up, lock your doors, 'Oh, yeah; let me get my gun' and we'll prevent that particular crime from happening," Bryant said.

Police recommend photographing the serial number of any valuables, including firearms, so that it can be sent out to a cloud and possibly traced.

Cox Media Group