Monday, February 18, 2019

Guns in cars
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation says there was an 85 percent increase in guns stolen from cars and trucks in a two-year period from 2016 to 2017. Last week, the shooting death of 24-year-old Nashville musician, Kyle Yorlets, again raised the issue. Five juveniles between the ages of 12 and 16 are charged with criminal homicide in the case. Police said the youths are linked to at least five vehicle thefts. Two guns police said they recovered from the suspects came from stolen cars. Police officials place some of the blame on Tennessee gun storage laws they say are driving the theft of handguns from vehicles. In 2013, the Tennessee legislature approved what is called the "guns in trunks" law, which made it legal for valid permit holders to keep handguns in cars and trucks parked in public and at private employer-owned parking lots. Then a year later, In 2014, lawmakers enacted a law that allows legal gun owners to keep loaded handguns, shotguns and rifles in their cars without a state handgun carry permit. Police say the gun laws have led to an increase in weapons left in cars by their owners, then stolen — and a corresponding spike in violent crime. Lawmakers have introduced bills this that would require gun owners to keep handguns left in their cars in a locked glove box or secured container. The legislation would also require handgun owners to report thefts of their weapons from cars and impose a $500 fine for owners who failed to report a theft if the weapon was later used in the commission of a crime. Republican House Speaker Glen Casada, however sees "zero connection" between Tennessee gun laws and the steep increase in firearms stolen from vehicles. The increase stems instead from the rise in juvenile and gang activity, argues the lawmaker. Sen. Jeff Yarbro, D-Nashville, the Senate minority leader,says “Stolen guns should be a problem for people on both sides of the aisle. You don’t exactly have to be a statistician to recognize there is some relationship between an increased number of weapons in cars and the increase in weapons stolen from cars.”


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