Guns stolen from citizen's and police dept.'s parked vehicles

When a CHL-holder needs to enter a "no-guns" victim zone, Ohio law currently requires to leave their firearm in a locked case in "plain sight" in their motor vehicle, or in a locked glove box.

In testimony supporting House Bill 12, which was under consideration by the Senate Committee on Criminal Justice in May 2003, Gahanna Police Chief Dennis Murphy voiced opposition to the creation of "victim" zones, where people would be required to leave their firearm in their car. He explained that thieves watch people in parking lots, and would quickly notice persons who were removing firearms for storage in their car. Murphy testified that such a law would lead to more gun thefts.

From the stories you are about to read, it is obvious that Chief Murphy was right when he testified before Senators that the safest place for a CHL-holder's firearm is on the hip of it's owner.

Cincinnati: Liberty Township Teen With Loaded Handgun Arrested
November 4, 2004, WCPO.com

Police have arrested a 17-year-old teenager after they responded to report of a car break-in in 5800 block of Princeton-Glendale Road in Liberty Township in Butler County.

Police caught up with the teenage thief just before noon on Wednesday.

Several items were taken from the car including a 9mm handgun.

When police saw the gun in the teen's hand they ordered him to drop it.

The teen refused and as police were ready to shoot at him, he dropped the gun.

Sean Sanders, of Liberty Township, has been charged with theft, breaking and entering, carrying a concealed weapon -- all felonies. Sanders has also been charged with two counts of possession of drugs.

Dayton: S.W.A.T. Weapons Stolen
November 4, 2004, WDTN.com

S.W.A.T. Team guns are in the hands of a criminal. 2News has learned that weapons were stolen from a Dayton S.W.A.T Team member's truck on Wednesday night.

Two swat members went to the Huber Heights Fricker's Restaurant to eat after a training session.

They left the restaurant at 12:30 Thursday morning.

When one of the men got to his truck, he found that a window was broken and his gear was gone.

Four guns were in cases in the back of the truck, and other equipment like safety glasses and gloves were in the bed of the truck.

The weapons include a twelve gauge shot gun, a full automatic M-16, a sniper rifle and a fully automatic submachine gun.

All the weapons were loaded, and the extra ammunition in the truck was also taken.

Some of the weapons are so powerful, they can't be purchased in gun shops, and only the military and police have access to them.

Eric Shadowens, an expert marksmen who spent eight years in the army, said, "Those types of weapons are not used for hunting to recreational purposes. They are used for one thing and that's to end lives."

Police want the weapons off the streets, so they are currently searching for the person who took them.

The Dayton Police Department isn't commenting about the crime.

Police say criminals are known to "case" their targets, watching for citizens who they see storing their firearm or other valuables before leaving their vehicles. As we have documented on this website recently, the Ohio State Highway Patrol's dangerous 'plain sight' car carry language has already helped put a stolen gun on the street. We warned Senators about this, and on something like this, we don't like being right.

We hope legislators remove the 'plain sight' requirements before we are proven right on our prediction that
that this ridiculous language, which was inserted to avoid a Taft veto, will also result in accidental discharges, since fulfilling the law's demands requires too much firearms handling.

Related Stories:
Has ridiculous ''plain sight'' provision claimed first victim?

Business' CCW bans contribute to increased potential for firearms theft