Dozens of guns stolen from cars on King St., Charleston Police Dept. reports

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Dozens of guns have been stolen from cars on King Street since 2019 - and that’s just the number of stolen guns actually reported to the Charleston Police Department.

Craig Dubose, one of the public information officers for Charleston Police Department, says there’s no national database of firearms that keeps track of who owns what. That being said, he says the only way they know if someone is using a stolen gun in a crime is if the gun was once actually reported stolen.

He was asked if there is a fear that these stolen guns are going to be used later down the road in another crime

“Oh, most certainly,” Dubose said.

There have been 38 reported guns stolen from cars on King Street since the beginning of 2019.

Butch Kennedy, CEO and founder of Palmetto Hope Network, a nonprofit that promotes responsible gun ownership, says he’s not surprised it all falls back to irresponsible gun ownership.

“Maybe one time you unknowingly leave your weapon in the car, but that shouldn’t become a habit,” Kennedy said.

Kennedy says he thinks there’s two things that can happen with a stolen gun: they sell it or use it.

“It’s crazy that in today’s society we can have a 6-year-old kid that can find a gun and shoot a schoolteacher, right?” Kennedy said. “But we don’t have parents, you know, actually saying, you know, I need to make sure that I lock this away so my kids can’t get to it.:

Dubose says these kinds of reports aren’t just happening on King Street, but all over the city. In one incident that happened on Morris Street, there were five firearms stolen from just one truck. The man who filed the report claims that he locked the vehicle but wasn’t sure if he locked the tailgate. The report states there were no signs of forced entry.

Dubose gave a list of ways to become a more responsible gun owner. He says make sure the car is locked, keep the gun in the center console or a lockable glove box if you even need it in the car and keep it unloaded. If it’s possible to keep it at home, keep the gun in a safe.

He also says it’s important to know the serial numbers for all your firearms so they can be reported, if stolen.

“We are keeping the guns off the street as much as we can,” Dubose said. “There’s obviously going to be times where the guns can get on the streets, but let’s lessen the opportunities.”

Contact the Charleston Police Department at 843-577-7434 to report any stolen guns.

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