Atlanta is grappling with a dubious distinction after a report revealed that it's the second-worst city in the nation for guns stolen from cars. The study cited in the report indicates an alarming trend of increased firearm thefts from vehicles, with Atlanta seeing 2,102 of its 2,843 stolen firearms in 2022 being taken from parked cars. This issue underlines a broader, national surge in such thefts, as highlighted by findings from the Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund, as per Fox 5 Atlanta.

The phenomenon has dramatically worsened, tripling over the last decade as per an analysis of FBI crime data. These stolen guns are not only missing possessions; they become instruments of violence, with direct links to various criminal activities across the state lines. According to a Fox 5 Atlanta article, the Atlanta Police Department (APD) reported that a substantial majority of guns stolen in the city last year were snatched from vehicles, and in 2023, 1,868 out of 2,506 stolen guns were reported stolen from vehicle. Throughout this period, weak gun laws in the state of Georgia have only exacerbated the situation.

Further fueling this crisis, AP, News uncovered that stolen guns from cars spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic alongside a major increase in weapon purchases. Everytown's report underscores how firearms, intended for personal protection, slip into the hands that law and society strive to keep them away from. "People don’t go to a mall and steal a firearm from a locked car to go hunting," said Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Director Steve Dettelbach in a statement. "Those guns are going straight to the street...and they're going to hurt and kill the people who live in the next town, the next county or the next state."

The situation has cities scrambling for solutions. Savannah officials, after seeing over 200 firearms stolen from unlocked vehicles last year, tried to tackle the issue head-on with a new ordinance prohibiting leaving firearms in unlocked cars. However, Georgia's State Attorney General argued that city officials overreached their authority, which has led to a lawsuit wanting to cease the ordinance's enforcement. In the wake of these events, Atlanta Police Department is urging residents to be more vigilant, recommending that they always turn off and secure their car doors, even if they are to only briefly step away, and to never leave valuables or firearms in plain sight, according to Fox 5 Atlanta.

As the debate over gun safety measures continues, Everytown stresses the need for legislation to combat easy accessibility to firearms through theft. Gun safety advocates like Moms Demand Action's volunteer Diana Gregory emphasized to Fox 5 Atlanta the importance of secure gun storage to prevent tragedies. Meanwhile, APD's preventative tips resonate with a straightforward message: never leave guns in your vehicle, but if you must, secure them with a firearm-safe and keep them out of view to avoid turning your personal belongings into tools of crime.