KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — In July 2022, the Knoxville Police Department reported 169 guns stolen in the city, an increase of 69 guns over the previous year. Eighty-six of those guns were stolen from cars, KPD spokesperson Scott Erland said.
KPD said they recovered 36 stolen firearms this year, 25 of them from car burglaries.
Several of those were used in violent crimes, Erland said. Some of the ways authorities recovered the guns are listed below.
- A gun reported stolen on Central Avenue in February was recovered two days later in Chattanooga on a call about shots being fired.
- A gun reported stolen from a car on White Avenue was recovered by Chattanooga police in a stolen car, and the police arrested four juveniles.
- A gun reported stolen in Knoxville in June was recovered by Oak Ridge Police who recovered a stolen car.
- A gun reported stolen from a car in Knoxville in July was recovered after someone allegedly shot themselves in the leg.
Erland said although not every stolen gun is recovered, and weapons used in crimes usually aren't recovered, this is a snapshot of how stolen guns are used in crimes.
Lt. Joshua Shaffer with the Knoxville Police Department said stolen guns are especially dangerous because they end up in the hands of criminals. He said it's common for criminals to use stolen cars and stolen guns because it doesn't connect them to the crime.
His advice for preventing firearms from ending up in the wrong hands is listed below.
- Know the serial number of your weapon. You can't report a gun stolen without it.
- If you leave your weapon in your car — lock it, keep it out of sight and lock it in a safe or a glovebox, if you can.
- Don't leave your weapons in your car overnight. He said most thieves target cars parked outside of houses and apartment complexes at night.