Burglars have been hitting parking garages in search of big profits, police say.
Houston police found it common in 2022 to report to 40 or 50 cars broken into at an apartment building parking lot and find nothing taken because the thieves were only interested in stealing guns.
More than 4,400 people called Houston police in 2022 after guns were stolen from their vehicles, a more than 19 percent increase from 2021, when the department received about 3,700 reports, said John Cannon, spokesperson for the police department.Reports have steadily risen in recent years, from 2,820 in 2020 up to the current high, according to department numbers.Burglars have simply moved on to the newest item with the best resell value, Hicks said.
Houston saw a nearly double-digit decrease in violent crime in 2022, and new data released showed the city was the largest major metropolitan area in the country to report a drop in the most serious offenses. But nonviolent property crimes, such as car thefts, increased in 2022, Chief Troy Finner said.
Houston police declined to release a specific list of what apartment complexes had been targeted during the surge of firearm thefts, explaining they were part of an ongoing investigation. But Hicks said thieves, usually operating in small groups, were targeting multi-story parking garages near high-rise apartments because it is easier to break in to many cars in a short period of time.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Capital murder suspect in 2022 Houston shooting arrested in ColoradoPolice say the victim was shot and then hit with a van in the parking lot of a motel.
Read more »
Redmond homeowners believe same burglars are targeting more than 2 dozen homesResidents in Redmond are fearful for their safety after tracking more than two dozen brazen break-ins in their neighborhood. FOX13
Read more »
Driving By Numbers: 10 Worst-selling vehicles in Canada in 2022Less than 0.5 per cent of the entire Canadian new vehicle market is made up of these 10 worst\u002Dselling vehicles
Read more »
Third arrest made in 2022 Tucson killingCesar Ruiz Valencia, 35, was found in Colorado and booked into the Grand County Sheriff’s Office Detention Center in connection to the fatal shooting here.
Read more »
Zelensky makes surprise trip to U.K., France as Ukraine seeks more aidUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky landed in Paris Wednesday evening and was greeted by French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu before meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
Read more »
After a Devastating 2022: Crypto Firms Will Not Advertise at Super Bowl (Report)Crypto logos won't shine across the stadium during the Super Bowl this year following a devastating 2022.
Read more »