BPD: Gun owners need to secure firearms

Guns locked with other gun locks sit on a table in the Beaumont Police Department Wednesday afternoon. The Beaumont Police Department, along with Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and United States Attorney’s Office held the joint press conference to talk about information on thefts of firearms from vehicles. Photo taken on Wednesday, 07/31/19. Ryan Welch/The Enterprise less

Photo: Ryan Welch, Beuamont Enterprise / The Enterprise

With nearly 70 firearms stolen in Beaumont so far this year, law enforcement officials are asking residents to secure their guns.

The Beaumont Police Department on Wednesday hosted a joint news conference with the U.S. District Attorney’s Office and Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives officials regarding auto burglaries and stolen weapons in Southeast Texas.

According to Beaumont Police Chief James Singletary, 134 guns were stolen from vehicles in 2017, compared to 118 in 2018.

This year, a total of 68 guns have been stolen from vehicles, with 14 of the thefts happening from June 28 to July 28. More than half were stolen from unlocked vehicles, Singletary said.

The National Shooting Sports Foundation donated 200 gun locks to BPD to hand out at community events.

“This has been happening for a long time now,” Singletary said. “We’ve been preaching to our citizens for the last two years and it’s still happening.”

Joe Brown, U.S. District Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas, said keeping violent crime down will take more than arrests and prosecutions.

“Too often, criminals obtain their weapons from unsecured locations in vehicles and homes,” Brown said. “Most of us think that it won’t happen to us, but it does.”

Brown brought up the fact that the gun used to kill Beaumont lawn service owner Anthony Wilson in April was stolen.

Wilson, 37, died April 11 near his West End home after he disrupted an attempted burglary on his truck. The married father of two and owner of Reli-A-Lawn and Landscaping followed the suspects in his truck, police said, and was fatally shot in the 6800 block of Madrid Drive.

Four suspects were later arrested, three of which have been charged with murder. The gun used in the crime reportedly had been stolen during a burglary in the same neighborhood two weeks prior.

“Do not ever leave your gun unattended in a vehicle,” ATF Special Agent Fred Milanowski said. “If you have to leave your gun in the vehicle, put it in the trunk or use one of these gun locks the department is giving out to secure it to a portion of your vehicle that cannot be removed.”

Milanowski warned against putting stickers on cars showing gun ownership or gun club membership as they identify potential targets. He also advised gun owners to keep updated and accurate records on their firearms, such as make, model and serial number.

“More than half of stolen guns can’t be reported because the owner does not have the records,” he said. “There is no national database or state database for firearms.”

Beaumont police arrested five people on July 23 following multiple auto burglaries where several firearms were stolen. Officers seized seven guns, four of which had been reported stolen.

chris.moore@beaumontenterprise.com