Rapid City authorities are urging gun owners to do their part in addressing an alarming trend: the use of stolen firearms in other crimes.
CBS News reports well over half of all South Dakotans keep at least one firearm in their home, and in the rugged American West, they’re often viewed as tools.
At the end of the day though, they are also deadly weapons that can easily fall into the wrong hands if not properly stored.
“If you really think about it, if you leave your gun in a car, it’s not doing you any good and it’s not doing anyone else any good,” Medina said
That’s public information officer for the Rapid City Police Brendyn Medina. In the most recent instance of a gun stolen out of a car, it wasn’t even a break in.
“As with any vehicle burglary, we check for signs of forced entry," Medina said. "In this case, there were no signs which leads us to believe the vehicle was left unlocked.”
It reflects a trend Medina said the RCPD finds “concerning.” A stolen firearm has consequences, and they’re often only recovered after they’ve been used in potentially violent crimes, locally or elsewhere.
“There was a few notable incidents a few years back in which we had firearms taken from our community that were recovered in some very high-profile crimes in Colorado that included a swat team callout as well as a pursuit that ended in an officer involved shooting,” Medina said.
Medina adds it’s almost too easy when a car door is left unlocked.
“What we see with vehicle burglaries is they are very often a crime of opportunity," Medina said. "Burglars will go down a string of cars and just check door handles to see which vehicles are left unlocked. A firearm in an unsecure vehicle is a very high-value item.”
RCPD officials remind the public responsible gun ownership involves 24/7 accountability for the firearm.