Authorities in Houston are concerned about the rise in gun jugging, local media reports.
Not familiar with the term “jugging”?
It’s basically a stalk and steal approach criminals use to take cash from bank customers who’ve recently withdrawn money from an ATM.
They watch, wait, and then strike when the victim least suspects it or is most vulnerable.
Gun jugging is the same thing except criminals target guns instead of cash. Ranges are a popular hangout for gun juggers because shooters are coming and going all the time, and sometimes they don’t take all their firearms out of their vehicles at once.
Any firearms left behind are easy pickings.
Sgt. Tracy Hicks with Houston PD told KHOU11 that car break-ins where guns were stolen are up over 100 this year compared to the same time last year (Jan-April), totaling 754 incidents versus 646 in 2019.
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“These guys are targeting those people,” said Sgt. Tracy Hicks. “They’re also learning, why not go for more than one gun?”
Police busted two alleged gun juggers on May 12, 19-year-old Michael Parker and 19-year-old Victor Gwinn, who were wanted for questioning concerning a previous case involving stolen guns.
In their most recent heist, Parker and Gwinn followed a gun owner from a gun range to a restaurant. When the gun owner went inside to get something to eat, the teens broke inside the vehicle and stole a firearm.
Believed to be members of a local gang, the two were charged with “engaging in organized crime.”
Sgt. Hicks said that gun owners can help stop gun juggers if they properly secured their firearms in locked containers or safes when the guns remain inside an unoccupied vehicle.
“That’s something you have to live with, that your complacency was a factor in that [theft],” Hicks said, adding that “One less gun on the street is one less victim out there.”
Hang em, stop wasting taxpayers money by feeding them in prison. Prison is just a free ride and the only thing they learn there is how to do crime better. While you’re at it hang a few lawyers and throw in a judge or two. The country will straighten out real quick.
Quit letting criminals out of prison early, especially those convicted of gun related crimes. It would be far more helpful than making responsible/legal gun owners from turning their vehicles into armored trucks.
Andy , I did’nt make the world the way it is . I just have
to LIVE in it .
Great advice, “Sgt. Hicks”! Because, hell, EVERYONE keeps a GunSafe INSIDE they’re CAR! Right? How about dimwits like YOU do a better job of spotting these thieves AT the Ranges and BUSTING THEM! I guess YOU will just have to live with the fact that YOU were unable to DO YOUR’ JOB! LOSER!
“One less gun on the street is one less victim out there.” No there are the same number of victims out there just one more of them disarmed.
And yet law enforcement agencies other than Houston PD continue to advise citizens to “…leave your ‘gun’ in the car” if you need to come into the building housing the law enforcement agency. And no, the law enforcement agency will NOT reimburse you if your firearm is stolen, but they WILL charge you for letting it be stolen from your vehicle, alleging that it was “improperly secured.” How do I know this? Guess!
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…if our complacency is to blame, then why don’t we blame women when they get raped?
Whenever I go to the range I go directly home afterward and put my guns away exactly for the reason in this article. If you go to a restaurant, your vehicle should be within visual contact at all times.
larry – If you go to a restaurant, your everyday carry (EDC) firearm should be on your person, appropriately and lawfully concealed. Leaving a firearm in one’s vehicle subjects it to theft; too, should you need it, you can’t get to it fast enough.
Cogito, ergo armatus sum.
that’s one reason there’s no Glock, Sig, Magpul etc. decals on my truck. Just advertises what you may have inside.
Unfortunately it’s come to this. I dont leave a range with multiple firearms then leave my vehicle unattended while I eat/ shop. I’ll use the drive through,park and be aware of any walk ups. Shame we’re at this point. What alternative? The buddy system is an option. One stays in the vehicle while the other goes inside. Also, criminals willing to follow you for guns are also willing to follow you home. Watch who’s watching you.
It is sad, but how else are criminals supposed to get their guns. The closure of “Fast and Furious” left a serious vacuum in the illegal gun market.
Good point! 🙂
Exactly. ALWAYS been that way!
You should also keep some ammo for when you are leaving the range, in case they try a more direct approach.
Of COURSE the firearm you’re carrying, lawfully concealed, should be loaded! Otherwise, it’s just a paperweight! There should be one round in the chamber and a full magazine inserted, if it’s a pistol, and all chambers loaded if it’s a revolver (excepting some antique revolvers).
Cogito, ergo armatus sum.
If you have to have a gun every minute of the day you need to move some where else.
Sure, andy, but the big question is _which_ minute are you going need the gun?
Maybe you’re a mind-reader or fortune teller, but the rest of us aren’t, so we carry 24/7 “just in case” because if you need it, your assailant isn’t going to give you a time-out to go home and get it.
A gun is like a parachute – if you don’t have it the first time you need it, you’ll probably never need it again.
Your statement reminds me of the anecdote about the lady noticing a Texas Ranger’s handgun at a social event. “Are you expecting trouble?” “No, ma’am. If I was expecting trouble, I would have brought my rifle.”
You’ll be living in the desert all by your self, then.
Are you kidding me? Get your head out of the sand. There are more of us that agree with him than those that agree with you. 2nd Amendment Always will be the way to go.
And where, exactly, would that be? And, do you watch the news at all?
After you move, how do you decide which minutes of the day you don’t have to have a gun?
Presumably andy doesn’t have a spare tire in his vehicle, fire extinguishers in his residence or vehicle, and doesn’t wear a seatbelt except when he knows he’s going to be in a traffic collision. He thinks ahead. (NOT!)
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Do you wear a seatbelt when you drive?
If you have to wear a seatbelt every minute that you drive, you need to drive more carefully.
Yeah, great advice! How about Heaven? Or the Garden of Eden? Any idea how we can move to those places real easy? Without Dying? Because otherwise, we are all on the same planet EARTH! I CARRY 24/7 JUST IN CASE! Not anyone’s fault but yours’ if you Need One and don’t HAVE IT!
Amen to that!
What total BS!
I am downright paranoid about leaving firearms in my vehicles. However… following this police officers logic. Women are responsible for rapes… just asking for it walking around like that… looking like a victim, and anyone that doesn’t drive a rusty 78 AMC Pacer is responsible for auto thefts.
How about we arrest the criminals for gun thefts and it’s 10 years first offense and 25 for a second offense. Get caught committing a gun crime and your life is Over. If I had a $1 for every asshole I see on Live PD they catch with a stolen firearm and a bag of dope… and you just know they will be out on bond by Monday.
I am for zero tolerance gun crime laws with mandatory no plea down sentencing.
Rand – If the laws were intelligently constructed, enforcement administered by LEOs who were educated, and courts were fairly conducted without favor, I’d agree. As it is, there are far too many laws with quirks in them which allow bastardization of any intelligent, educated, impartial intent of the original legislation. Too, there are too many laws for even geniuses to remember and obey, most not having the “common sense” about which counter-Constitutionalists rant.
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So if you are charged with speeding 10 mph over posted speed limit and you have a firearm in your vehicle…life in prison?
Inadvertently break any one of thousands of obscure laws and regulations but are in possession of a firearm at the time…etc etc etc.
Well stated!
with the cases securefirearmproducts.com sell this crime won’t happen
Sgt. Tracy Hicks must be a liberal gun banner. To make the statement “One less gun on the street is one less victim out there.” indicates this. If you have locked your weapons in your vehicle, you have secured them. If you lock them in the locked vehicle in a locked gun case they can still be stolen by anyone willing to break into the vehicle. Sgt. Hick’s view is illogical and once again shifts the blame from the criminal to the citizen in typical liberal blame shift.
EXACTLY what I was going to say.
Nathan De Lon – Law enforcement officers are notorious for having little knowledge of either firearms or the law, much less “common sense” regarding firearms. Most have only a highschool degree, with many having a GED. A relative few have a college education with a baccalaureate degree, and fewer still have a college degree in a subject directly related to law enforcement and the law. A miniscule number have masters or doctoral degrees, most of those also unrelated to law enforcement or the law. To trust law enforcement officers to answer questions regarding firearms and/or the law is like trusting a randomly selected 18-year-old to inform you how best to put out a multiple-story apartment fire!
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You’re either misinterpreting his comment, or deliberately spinning it. His message was that one less Stolen gun on the streets means one less victim.
People can be very careless about securing their firearms. Never leave guns in your vehicle unattended!
Police officer told me, what thieves are after breaking into vehicles: cash/credit cards, cell phones/computers, and Guns.
MOST Firearm owners NEVER leave weapons unattended! However, there are exceptions too everything! And We The People HAVE a RIGHT to the presumption of security of our private property and belongings! THAT IS WHY we PAY people like “Sgt Hicks”! NOT to preach crap to us AFTER he/she FAILED to do his/her JOB! Don’t think we HAVE that Right? Re-Read the Constitution!!! “Sgt Hicks” is just a lazy, sob living on the public teat and looking to blame everyone else for his/her failure at the job he/she is PAID too do!
Totally agree with you, I think LEO’s need to concentrate on getting the criminal element off the street and protect the law abiding citizens practicing their Constitutional right to practice and hone their use of firearms ,we take great care and expenses in protecting our weapons , the LEO’s need to concentrate on the bad guy and protect the law abiding citizens!
I know it will be harder to get them than us, but isn’t that what they are paid for ?
“Sgt Hicks” just wants an excuse for NOT DOING his/her JOB! The crooks should have been spotted AT the Range and BUSTED before they could make a grab! But Sgt. Hicks was too busy eating donuts to do that sort of work! You know, the type he/she is PAID to do!
I agree with Mr. Doyle!
This is STUPID! Some jerk BREAKS INTO a vehicles LOCKED trunk…and it’s OUR fault it happened??
You sound like they are CHILDREN breaking into them!! 19 is NOT a child!! If they are old enough to vote, and fight in a war..they are NOT children!!
Want to pass some NEW gun laws? How about if they pull a GUN THEFT from a locked car..they get about 10 years?? Every where, that is about five years with good behavior..so they should be in for the full ten!!
Why is it that EVERY law that gets broken is the FAULT of the victim? I’m sick of it..and this idiot cop too!!
Lock box for your gun? Go to YouTube pin head and look up the lock pick lawyer + gun lock boxes! Most of them he don’t even have to pick open!! He can open it just by dropping it on a corner!! If need be, he can use a pop top to open the damn things!! Yes, I use them..because I USED to think they were better than nothing…I was WRONG!!
And lastly cop..a MASTER LOCK?? You don’t even have to pick it..which takes less than a minute!! You can just shim that junk open in LESS time than it takes to open it with A KEY!!
More pathetic advice from a “safety expert”!!
WHO is to blame for dim wits breaking into cars?? COPS to lazy to do their damn jobs!! After all..they are ONLY children..right?? Jerk!
They call it Holier Than Thou Syndrome, and yet… “records from more than 100 law enforcement agencies … found that they had collectively reported the loss or theft of at least 1,781 guns between 2008 and 2017. The vast majority were department-issued handguns, but the count also included hundreds of rifles and shotguns, as well as four fully automatic submachine guns.”
Sorry, forgot to add the source… http://www.thetrace.org/2018/11/lost-and-stolen-police-guns/
In Maryland the police often blame you for ‘negligently allowing your gun to be stolen’. I’ve seen them berate victims for this with harmful language like, “Now this gun is going to be used to kill somebody, or maybe even a cop. Maybe even me!” They would often take other firearms from your home/car as well if they had questions about them.
I have escaped Maryland, but I know this is common throughout leftist cities and states.
The government and its representatives should NEVER fault the victim’s for having their property stolen. Officially, it is solely on the criminal who took it.
As a former cop I will tell you that you should put forth your best effort to secure your guns, but you should remind the cop that you are the victim and never allow them to take your firearms without putting up a stink, calling your lawyer, threatening a lawsuit, or even using your constitutional right to resist via other means.
Damon – Wonderful to meet another former cop who shares my opinion of ill-informed cops!
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Typical Liberal viewpoint.
It’s always the victims fault.
Wait, he said “Sgt. Hicks said that gun owners can help stop gun juggers if they properly secured their firearms in locked containers or safes when the guns remain inside an unoccupied vehicle.” Uhhh how will that prevent the criminals from grabbing the container and leaving? A locked container doesn’t prevent theft. This is why when I travel with firearms I will never sit in an area that I can’t have overwatch of my car. If I can’t watch my car while I’m eating I go home first and drop the guns off. Not worth it to me.
If you carry a gun in a vehicle and don’t secure it, you have basically bought the gun for someone else.
A pistol lock box is cheap.
Buy a cable for long guns and run through the trigger guard or magwell of a long gun, wrap around the seat frame or trunk lid arm and lock it with a master lock.
Sure, a determined thief with a little time can get it but it will slow them down, and it will prevent a snatch and grabber looking for easy pickins. I don’t leave unsecured cash or guns in my vehicles.
So….
If I buy something that someone might want, I’m already at fault for for allowing their jealousy to overcome common sense, morality & the law of the land.
Shame on me.
I wanna be just like Joe when I grow up– the coolest guy with a Master lock I know.
Great Idea, Joe! When going into a restaurant, leave your handgun in the vehicle. That way, you won’t have it available, should you need it. Seems to me a rather famous woman did exactly that in Texas, and she was able to see both of her parents executed when she was taking them out for their wedding anniversary. Is there some compelling reason NOT to be armed? I’m fairly intelligent and educated more than the average bear, and I can’t think of one, particularly since I’m also better trained than virtually all law enforcement officers who would be responding to a scene where a firearm was needed at the time of the violent crime. Fortunately, most would know how to draw a chalkline around your corpse – you know, the corpse that left his sidearm locked in his vehicle!
Cogito, ergo armatus sum.
Excuse me! So it’s our fault and complacency when criminals break into our vehicles? How about we just start shooting them and cut out
the courts and police as middle men. I’ll bet that nonsense stops very quickly.
Right on! Too many criminals walking around these days
I’m all for executing the habitual criminal that has been deemed non-redeemable by the courts, but we still need to abide by the Constitution. But neither of our ideas will be entertained for at least another 20 years, after the majority of innocents have been brutalized by the criminals.
Soon you will have nothing but liberal judges and politicians, have to make adjustments its coming
Will that be before or after the climate changes?
I thought it was women hiding guns between their ‘jugs”.
Maybe if more places would let us take our guns in they wouldn’t be outside in the car. I CANNOT stand having a gun in my car.
I misread it as “gun jogging.” Like citizens going for a brisk run in the morning with their carry gun in a fanny pack or something.
Great idea! Where can I get a vehicle safe big enough to fit my range bag and a rifle or two in?
Wait.
I thought criminals got their guns via the gun show loophole?
OK, I get that a vehicle safe would be an idea, but notice the cop they speak with puts the fault for the theft solely at the feet of the victim, not the thief. Typical.
Right? Victim blaming is a total fallacy and very dangerous and stupid. I wonder if the quoted policeman ever tells any criminals a similar platitude, “That’s something you have to live with, that your behavior was a factor in that innocent persons misfortune/injury/death”. God bless LEO’s but if truly spoken in that fashion the officer could have certainly said it better.
TruckVault, Monster Vault, BOSS…there’s a lot.
Am I the only one who thought it said, “Gun Juggling”? I was seriously expecting to read about some new fad where people were doing carnival tricks with three or more guns at a time. Not that it hasn’t given me ideas….. 😉