Thefts of guns from cars reached a record high last year, according to the Shelby County Crime Commission.
New data from the organization show 2,441 guns were stolen from cars in 2022. That’s up from 2,042 stolen from cars in 2021.
In 2011, 287 guns were stolen from cars. From January to March 2023, 617 guns were stolen from cars.
“In 2014, the Tennessee General Assembly enacted legislation eliminating the need for a permit in order to possess a handgun in a vehicle,” reads a statement from the commission. “Since then, the theft of handguns from vehicles has skyrocketed in Memphis.”