By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com
Gun store burglaries reached record numbers in 2016, marking a 30% increase over 2015.
The 558 reported burglaries at licensed firearms dealers is higher than any period since the ATF began tracking burglaries and robberies five years ago, The Trace reports.
During the 2016 break-ins, the number of firearms stolen reached 7,488, a 59% increase over 2015, which had previous held the record for gun store burglaries.
Compared to 2012, when the ATF began compiling data on such crimes, burglaries from licensed dealers jumped by 48%, while the number of guns stolen increased by 73%.
Many of those guns end up on the black market.
“These crimes victimize law-abiding federal firearms licensees, causing a threat to their livelihood and even personal safety at times, and the stolen firearms further pose a threat to the safety of our communities,” said ATF spokeswoman Amanda Hils. “ATF special agents and industry operations investigators across the country work alongside our local and state law enforcement partners to prevent, respond to, and investigate these incidents.”
