With hundreds of stolen guns in the Triangle, law enforcement and community members work to combat this crisis

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — From busted windows to shattered glass, residents across the Triangle have expressed their concerns and frustrations over recent car break-ins.

“We’re seeing them go into the same areas, areas that have a high population of vehicles, and they’re just busting the windows out using whatever object they have,” said Cpl. M.D. Henderson with Durham Police Department’s Property Crimes and Fraud Unit.

Henderson said 317 guns have been reported stolen in Durham between January and August this year and 70% of them were stolen from a car. He said 43% of those were from forcible entry into the vehicle. Henderson said that’s up almost three times from what the police department experienced last year.

“These individuals are going and not just looking for money, but they’re going and looking for firearms,” said Henderson. “The rising concern is these individuals are taking these guns and using them to commit violent crimes.”

Henderson said they’re seeing more of these crimes involve juvenile suspects and it’s happening both during the day and night.

“Even if you store your gun in a lockbox in your vehicle, I’ve had cases where they take the car and the gun at the same time. There’s really no safe manner, that I can say 100%, that your gun is going to be safe in your vehicle,” said Henderson.

Henderson said it’s the reason the police department continues to remind residents to take their guns out of their vehicles. He said the safest place for them is in a secured safe.

Durham police said the number of stolen guns in the community continues to rise year over year. Raleigh police said they’re working with an even larger problem. Officers said 398 guns have been reported stolen this year. Last year, there were a total of 629.

Chapel Hill officers said the police department’s number of stolen gun reports is much lower than some of their neighboring communities—23 reported stolen so far this year. However, 21 of those were from vehicles and more than half from forcible entry.

“There’s always concerns of firearms getting in the wrong hands,” said Bridget Walker, the Membership Director with Youngsville Gun Club.

Walker, a Second Amendment advocate, said it’s the reason the business is doing more to educate new gun owners. She said the club offers classes to promote safe gun use and ownership.

“Being a mom, personally, keeping it out of the possibility of my son’s hands, is huge for me. We talk to customers about that a lot,” explained Walker. “The second amendment is a right, but it also comes with a responsibility.”

Walker said they encourage owners to keep their guns locked at home, but she knows the challenges.

She said, “There are plenty of places where you’re not able to take it into a business or into your work– you have to leave it in your car. I used to work 45 minutes from my house, I wasn’t driving certain highways without mine.”

During those moments, the Youngsville mother said she also kept her gun locked in a safe that’s chained to her vehicle; however, Walker said she will also leave it in a safe at home if she knows she’ll be leaving her car unattended for hours at a time.

Walker, who also said their business was burglarized earlier in the year, asked, “For me, the stolen guns is an issue because when they do get caught, are they facing the consequences they should?”

Cpl. Henderson said their police department continues to seek ways to deter the issue by working with the district attorney, lawmakers, and the juvenile justice system.

“We’re working day in and day out to make sure we continue to make the City of Durham a place to live and learn, to really grow, and be a prosperous city,” said Henderson.

Khedron Mims, with Rivals Barbershop in Durham, said he continues to hear from his customers- Durham neighbors and city leaders- who are working to find solutions to make the community safer.

“Durham doesn’t mean getting shot to us, or violence to us, or a bad story to us,” said Mims. “I’ve been a business owner since I was 21 years old here in Durham, and people have shown me love here.”

While noting the positive growth, development, and changes within the city, Mims believes there is still an opportunity for more support, programs, and mentorship.

He said, “I think it’s poverty, I think it’s the lack of mentoring, I think it’s listening to the wrong things that steer us… Sometimes we have to figure out the narrative, the root of it all, why is this happening?”

Mims added, “I think it’s a collection of individuals in this town, us coming together, and seeing what it is that we can do for these younger generations… to carve this violence or the hunger for youth to have guns or commit crimes.”

Durham police, again, encourage everyone to keep their guns locked and secured at home. If someone sees anyone breaking into their vehicle, officers said the best thing is to be a witness and call 911. Police said those individuals could be armed.

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